The Trouble With Stories
by Crazy Scribe
Summary: A girl, adopted by the gypsies goes to her home town for the first time in years. She is then buffeted with memories and is made to face her past, a grim prospect for the orphan. She gets thrown into a childhood story, a large adventure, full of her past.
1. Prolouge

**Prologue**

She paced from one end of the room to the other, her mind rotting with boredom. She looked at the room, still pacing, looking first at the window. The rain still beat down. She glared at the window, as if by simply glancing at the world outside would make the rain stop. But, as if to make a point that her boredom would not do anything of the kind, the world lit up with a flash of light followed by a loud bang of emphrase that echoed through the room.

With a jump of fright she stopped pacing, and looked elsewhere for a release to her boredom. But, hard as she looked at the cold stone walls, blazing fire, crack rimmed jugs filled with different things and hard-wooden dining table and chairs, nothing would present itself to her.

With a groan of annoyance she dumped herself into one of the chairs, and jumped up three times quicker when she landed on a splinter. She plucked the splinter out of her behind and examined it. Flicking it aside she decided she would look in her bedroom at the end of the hallway for something to do.

She strolled to her room as if she had nothing else better to do (for in fact she didn't, as of yet). As she passed her father's room she looked inside. Still walking she bent her head around the doorframe to keep looking. She stopped with her head still bent around the doorframe.

Though there were many things in her father's room that should interest a girl her age, for she was only ten, she had only eyes for the parchment and writing implements on his workbench. He was a writer or scribe, as the nobles liked to call him; she herself liked to call him scribbler. She called him this because most of the time his writing just looked like a bunch of scribbles on the page, that was, of course, when he wasn't trying to be neat.

"No," she said. "No more writing!" She advised herself shaking her head.

Her feet, unfortunately, did not listen to her and carried her over to the workbench. She inspected the chair before sitting, no splinters this time. Still she did not pick up the quill. But finally her want to write overcame her fear to write. She took up the quill and dipped it in the ink before starting to write. She didn't even have to mull over an idea; it just came to her.

If anyone found out she could write she would be in deep trouble. This was because the only women allowed to write were the noble and royal ladies. But in fact though the common men were allowed to write they didn't usually know how. Among the few commons that knew how to write were scribes and people who needed to know for their businesses.

The only reason she knew how to write was because her father taught her. When she wrote she was a lot like her father. So often she had seen her father sitting where she was writing down one of the many stories he came up with.

The writing overtook her, putting her in to a trance. She felt the story flowing out of her. Heard the scratch of the quill on the parchment, forming the words, with the occasional plop as she put more ink on her quill. She smelt the strong ink and special herbs that protected the parchment, which both had a strong aroma. She even saw the words forming on the page as her hand passed quickly over it. With all her senses flooded she lost track of time, and wrote sentence after sentence.

Suddenly she was jolted out of her trance. There the noise came again, was someone knocking? Who on earth would come in the middle of a thunderstorm?

"Reginald!" She growled under her breath. Really she was thankful, what would if she had kept writing? She folded the pages of parchment she had written on and put them into the pocket of her faded blue, badly fixed dress, her own handiwork.

Her mother had disappeared when she was two, so she had to figure out how to sew on her own. People often asked her if she missed her mother, Maria, but truth was she didn't even remember her.

Reginald was still knocking. She shook her head, trust Reg to turn up in the middle of a storm, that was best friends for you.

"Letti!" He started yelling. "Letti, open the door!"

"Well it mustn't be that wet out side if he hasn't started calling me by full name yet" she whispered to herself.

"Atlantia, open the damn door! I'm soaked to the bloody bone!" he ironically screamed through the door.

She shook her head with a small smile. "So much for that thought." She said rolling her eyes. Atlantia finally got to the door. She grabbed the jam holding the door shut, meanwhile screaming through the door. "Shut up now Reg, I'm here!"

The jam was stuck tight, a few more tugs. It came free with a burst and flung her to the floor.

The door opened and Reg came in. His eyes flew around the room and quickly found what they wished to find.

"Letti are you alright?" he asked frantically shutting the door and flinging himself to the floor by her side.

"I'm fine" she murmured the lie for that's what it was. Her backside throbbed so highly from the fall, and the splinter earlier made it worse. As she sat up a bit of blood smudged on her shirt.

"No you're not" he caught her out before he saw the blood.

'How does he do that?' She thought. She answered herself, 'that's what happens when you've known someone since you were one and a half, they know you to well.'

"Letti you're bleeding!" He blurted in surprise. He jumped up and went for the bandages, knowing the house inside and out.

"It's all right," she called after him, "it's just a mere scratch!" She didn't bother arguing any more then that, she knew he wouldn't listen. "The door jam keeps getting stuck, I think I'll tell father to get it fixed."

He just nodded in reply as he came back with the bandages. "Is he out at some job?" He asked

"Is he out at _a_ job?" She corrected him before answering, "yes."

"What's he doin' this time?" He inquired as he started bandaging her arm.

She rolled her eyes at his improper grammar, he never learns, but she did have quite high standards. Her father had taught her, since she was young, to talk like a noble. "I'm not sure" she finally answered. Flinching as Reg bandaged her arm. "Not so ti-!" She stopped mid-sentence when the door flung open.

Lightening struck, ironically, illuminating the figure in the doorway. "What happened here?" The figure asked as he closed the door. He then bent over and started examining Atlantia's arm. "Let me guess . . . the door jammed again?" He asked guessing correctly, catching sight of the door jam lying on the floor arms reach from Atlantia.

Both children nodded and he went on. "I also notice," he began, "that Regi was kind enough to fetch bandages and bind your arm but not help you to a seat. Even though your behind is probably hurting more than your arm right now. Though it was very kind of you, Regi."

Reginald flushed with embarrassment at his stupidity. He then decided that helping her to a chair was a good idea and helped Atlantia to her feet. The figure straitened up and walked over to the chairs with them, Atlantia more limping then walking. Atlantia then inspected the chair, no splinters, then sat down. The figure sat net to her and Reg sat across from her.

"What shall we do to pass this dark and stormy night?" Asked the figure

Straght away Reg answered. "Why don' ya tell us a story Fabrizio."

Once again Atlantia rolled her eyes, but this time was accompanied by Fabrizio. She then agreed "Yes, Father tell a story, do." She pleaded adding a little correction for Reg.

"You really want to hear a story?" He asked sounding serious but if you looked into his eyes, deep brown pools, you could see an amused twinkle.

"Please" he heard the uniting voices of Regi and Letti, Letti opening her eyes so as to look sweet and innocent with those lovely irises. Regi and Letti's voice was joined by another sound of agreement.

"Row" that was Cleopatra, Atlantia's faithful cat for ten years.

At that moment she jumped up onto the table, right past Reg and near scaring him out of his skin. Cleopatra then moved across the table and curled up in Atlantia's lap looking up at Fabrizio expectantly.

"I think Pat wants to hear one too." Atlantia informed her Father uselessly.

"Alright then, which one do you want to hear tonight?" Fabrizio asked, still retaining his amused glanced.

Letti looked thoughtful, obviously thinking about which of her father's stories she would like to hear tonight. It was Regi, whom had recovered from his fright, who answered.

Obviously a very thoughtful answer, "Dunno."

A still amused Fabrizio made a thoughtful sound and pretended to be thoughtful. He glanced around the room, oh how much Letti looked like her long lost mother, Maria. With a cat on her lap and the dark brown hair, curling gently past her shoulders, so brown and beautiful. Fighting the hairpin he had given her mother. It was Maria's favourite, but the day she had disappeared she hadn't been wearing it. So Letti now wore it even though she could not remember her mother.

"How about 'The Lonely Dragon Who Made friends With the Friendly Prince?'" He asked the children and cat.

Both children shook their heads, "too childish and tame." Letti Declared. Reg nodded in agreement and Pat gave another of the agreeing "Row" sounds.

By now Fabrizio had all three sets of eyes looking at him, emerald green from a small set of cat eyes, blue from the sandy-blond haired expecting Reginald and a lovely deep brown with a tinge of green for Atlantia's. The brown she had inherited from him but her mothers had been green that's how she got the tinge.

"Too tame?" He mulled, "well then how about 'The Sea Monster As Big As Gruber That Was Conquered By The Fearsome Pirate?'" He suggested.

"No way" said Letti, Reg again nodding in agreement with her.

"Row" obviously Pat didn't want to hear that one. Then there was a strange sound "slurp, slurp," they all looked down to see Pat licking her lips.

Letti was the first to speak, "soon enough the pirate will be able to sail down the streets of Gruber, as much as Pat would like it." Letti was obviously referring to the rain and how looked about to flood the town, and Pat's hunger for some fish.

"Well the only other . . . nah" said Fabrizio, now with a fleck of mischief in his still amused eyes.

"Oh, what story Father?" Letti inquired, a twinkle of wonder in the way she looked at him.

"Well I was just thinking, and the only other story that comes to mind is . . ." he drew out the suspense. With the children hanging on his words he finally said, "'The Worrier Princess and the Prince', but you guys don't want to hear that one. You-"

He was stopped short by Reg, "no we want to hear that one! Don't we Lett?" He asked her, she just nodded enthusiastically. Both children were looking at him with hope, Pat too had raised her head and was looking at him with the same hope. He looked at their faces and saw the pleading that he couldn't resist.

But he managed to pretend, "but you've heard it so often, it must be so boring."

"We haven't heard it nearly enough, and it can never be boring. Isn't that right Reg?" This time it was his turn to nod enthusiastically.

"Row" Pat obviously agreed with them in this matter, of course. Pat had been with Letti since she was born; they had been inseparable ever since. Her mother had had a cat exactly the same; in fact Pat was born in a litter from Maria's third cat that was pitch black as well. That cat had disappeared on the same day as its owner . . . such mystery.

"Oh, all right" He gave in not so reluctantly though he sounded as if he was. But he always loved telling them stories he had made up and also his eyes showed his joy. "Ok everyone comfy?" The children arranged themselves. Letti moving her chair so she could lean on him he then put his arm around her. Reg had chosen to cross his arms on the table so he could put his chin on them. Pat on the other hand had managed to maintain a perfect position on Letti's lap, even while she moved the chair. "Everyone comfy?" He asked again.

This time he received nods an a stretched out "rooowwww."

"Good lets start." He said

There was a crash of thunder, to emphrase the point, as if the whole world was excited to hear the story. The group only took a moment's notice.

"Once upon a time" Fabrizio began, as all fairy tales do. "In a land called Dorania a Kingdom where there are fairies, unicorns, dragons and in the sea, on their coast, there is even mermaids." When Fabrizio had come up with this story it was only he and Maria, she had loved mermaids.

With the quick thought of Maria he brushed his medium brown hair behind his ear, which was easy with hair down to his chin. He did this as if the simple movement like that could wipe the thoughts away. He looked down at Letti; her hair was darker than his was and curly. Maria had had such dark brown hair that it was not far off black but you could still tell it was brown. His Hair was strait so Letti obviously got the curly hair from her mother again, but it was just a little lighter, a mix of both parents.

After a few seconds pause from the story he picked up again. "But there aren't just those creatures in Dorania there are many, many more, in some parts there are even giants. In this great land there is a King and Queen, as there is in every kingdom. The King and Queen had a son, he is brave and also very handsome." At this Letti poked her toung out, she was not yet at the age when you think about boys. Amused again he kept telling the story "As I said he was very brave, he proved this many a time. Many dragons are friendly and the Prince is friends with many of them. But when need be he would fight one of the unfriendly dragons to protect the Kingdom. It was the same with giants, he would do anything to protect the happy people of Dorania. The Prince has brown hair and green eyes and though he is a prince he wears commoners clothes. A white shirt and black pants with seafarers boots.

One day the Prince got word of a terrible wizard in the country next to Dorania, so he and his trusty stead, a unicorn, rode to defeat the fearsome foe.

The unicorn, as white as the moon, was said to be incredibly troublesome, as cheeky as you two put together." Fabrizio said referring to Letti and Reg, for this he received a gentle elbow in the stomach from a smiling girl. Both Letti and Reg were smiling they were known all around town for troublesome behaviour. "So the Prince and the unicorn rode through the Dragon's Mouth Pass through the mountains, to the next kingdom." Fabrizio went on telling the story with a smile. "That night he stopped to sleep in a cave. When he got into the cave he felt cold steel against his throat. 'I mean no harm' the Prince told the stranger, taking his luck he said 'I have come to defeat the wizard that has taken hold of this kingdom.' He was answered by a strange voice 'what, your not going to kill the witch as well?' At this moment he no longer felt the sword on his skin and he heard it being seethed. He turned not to see a worrier but a woman, or was she a worrier.

She wore a red dress and her hair is brown and streaked with red. Her eyes were the most unusual eyes he had ever seen, they were purple with flecks of red, and behind her shoulder she had a tattoo of a sword with a flower twining around it. What the Prince could not see was that under her dress she wore black commoners' pants and seafarers boots.

She told him all she knew of their foes, which turned out to be a lot. She called the foes 'The Witch and Wizard of Death' because they loved to kill. She too wished to defeat this evil. So the Prince and the Girl joined forces. Over the night she told him everything even what they looked like

The Witch wore a wide strip of cloth that only covered her chest, this was black. She also wore a long skirt from the hips down. She also womanly fashioned high heels that were also black. Her nails were long and as everything else she wore, black. Her hair also black, was short and worn in many ponytails, and at first glance looked like snakes. She had many piercings all with black stones; red eyes were the only touch of on her face. She like the girl had a tattoo, but this one looked evil. The tattoo was of two snakes coiling around her waist and coming up around her sides to have their heads pointing towards her throat with moths open, looking as if poised to strike.

The Wizard also had black hair and only black cloths. He wore expensive material and a cape that followed him along the ground. His black hair was worn long and tied back in a horse tail. He too had many piercings. But his eyes were brown to add to the darkness.

It's believed that the Witch was the brains, the wizard was not the smartest, but he was the strength. 'What draws them together is their lust for death. My mission is to destroy them.' The girl concluded. 'Anyway it's a long journey to the castle we should get some rest.'

The next day the Prince woke to see the girl watching him and plating her hair. She gave him some food and they left.

'How are we going to get there if you don't have a horse?' The Prince asked

'I was going to ask you the same question' with that she put her fingers to her mouth and gave a whistle. Out of nowhere a pitch-black horse appeared. She then mounted as the prince got his unicorn.

So the pair left on their black and white steeds. The Prince saw now that her hair came down to her waist, well around about its hard to tell when its tied up." Fabrizio stopped to catch his breath. Looking at Reg and Letti he could tell they were hanging on his every word.

"Come on Father keep telling the story" urged Letti.

"I'm sure you two know the story word for word anyway." He said. "Where was I . . .? The Girl was right it was a long journey, it took the pair a week. Over that week the Prince found out a lot about the girl like she is an incredible fighter. He even started falling in love.

The girl seemed happy enough even with her land under the new rule of the evil Lord and Lady of Death. But truly her dreams are haunted with beauty tainted by death. She hoped that the elimination of the Witch and Wizard would also eliminate those dreams.

Finally the day came for battle-"

"YES!" What an interruption.

"Let him tell us the story Reg," Letti told him. "Come on tell the rest of the story"

"All right, the Prince, insight of the castle, felt his blood run cold. 'The castle use to be bright, peaceful and joyous." The Girl informed him noticing his fear.

'Wish it was like that now' he replied.

'Me too' said the girl with a sigh. 'Now, the Witch is mine to fight. You deal with the wizard'

'Ok, why?' The Prince wondered

The Girl decided she would tell him. 'Because she, with her own hand, killed my parents. I may not be able to poison her but I will still avenge them'

'I will not deny you that right' said the prince understanding

'All right let's go' said the Girl impatient to kill her enemy."

Fabrizio stopped because Letti and Reg were giggling and Pat was rolling back and forth on his and Letti's laps. They loved his voices, he couldn't help smiling.

Once everyone had recovered he continued. "The battle raged for a day and a night, the ringing clash of swords rang through the castle. The Prince and the Wizard used strength against strength. But the Girl used wit and movement against the Witch's quick strokes and terrible taunts.

When the battle was over the Prince and the Girl went out through the gates side by side. The castle returning to the ways of old, when it was bright, peaceful and joyous, around them. Light touched every corner that was previously dark. Their swords shone and the remnants of the Witch and Wizard's blood dripped off, drip, drip, drip.

Once they stepped through the gates they were greeted by cheers, 'The Worrier Princess has saved us all!'

The Prince asked whom they were calling Princess. 'Me silly! The Worrier Princess, my parents were the King and Queen.'

Because they had fallen in love with each other the Worrier Princess and the Prince got married. They had a number of adventures as they travelled everywhere eliminating evil and ruling over the kingdom. In their rule evil has never taken over the kingdom again and they will live happily ever after!" Fabrizio finished, "All right the storys over, time for some sleep, don't you think?"

"NO WAY!" Reg and Letti said together

Letti tried to suppress a yawn without luck. "I think so," said Fabrizio. "The rain hasn't stopped yet so you better sleep here Regi. Letti and I will take you home tomorrow morning and explain"

"Besides, Reg, if you try to get home now-" stopping to suppress yet another yawn. Letti picked up exactly where she left off; "you will probably get soaked to the bone and catch your death. Then who will I have to help me terrorise the town." Said Letti justifying his staying the night.

"Yeah especially Mrs Webber" said Reg with a laugh.

"I knew you two were still up to your tricks on her, she's getting old you know." Fabrizio told them with a not so disapproving glance. 'Their only kids' he thought 'they will grow out of it, until then they will always get into trouble.'

"We're sorry Father, aren't we Reg?" She said giving Reg an elbow in the side; they were all standing up by now.

"Err . . . yeah, Fabrizio" Said Reg not to convincingly.

Fabrizio gave a chuckle as Letti said, "I'm going to go get changed." She ran off down the hallway closing her door behind her.

Once in her room she hid the pieces of parchment she had written on, if that was found by the wrong person her father and her would be arrested. She then put on her night clothes and called for Reg and her Father. Pat was already in her room, as inseparable as they were. Her father brought in an extra pillow and lay it at the end of the bed. Reg and Letti lay side by side with their heads at different ends, under the covers. "Good night!" they said in unison.

Pat put in a bit of a purr.

"Good night you three, sleep well." With that Fabrizio kissed Letti on the forehead and gave them a smile before closing the door behind him.

"Letti, you'll always be my best friend" Said Reg after Fabrizio had left.

"You'll always be mine too, Reg" she replied with a smile. "Ow . . . you to Pat" Letti said when Pat bit her finger.

With that pat curled up between Letti's arm and torso and gave a content sound before lightly purring.

"Friends for life" Reg and Letti said at the same time. Letti then leaned over and blew out the candle.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – A Town Named Gruber**

"There 'tis – Gruber, capital city!" said the boy with a cry of delight.

"We're sure to earn a lot of money here, 'specially wi' Aly" said the man next to him.

"Yeah s'pose" said Aly

"What's wrong Al, arn' ya excited to see the capital?" said the boy putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I bet Cleo knows 'ay Seb" said the man.

"She prob'ly does George" said Seb as Aly wriggled out from under his arm.

Aly moved between George and Seb as she said, "good luck gettin' it out o' 'er, ain' tha' right Cleo?" Said Aly still walking with the whole mini procession behind her, both Seb and George walking by her sides.

"Row" said a pitch-black cat pouncing up into her arms.

"There's me Cleo," said Aly praising the cat.

"Oh come on Atlantia" urged Seb.

"Fine Sebastian, if ye really must know, I lived in Gruber till I were 'leven." She gave in. "I ain't been 'ere in five years. I don't think anyone will recognise me though. Alri'?"

"Ye've only been with us for three years, and in that time ye have changed so much. Both in looks an' attitude, I doubt anyone will recognise you." George told her trying to comfort her because she was obviously upset. She hardly ever talked about her past; it obviously contained a lot of heartbreak. She smiled up at him, that lovely smile that was worthy of a gypsy like her. It was such a different smile, but yet he could have sworn he had seen it before, but where.

"Thanks George," she said, "there-"

"I can't believe ye lived in Gruber!" Seb interrupted unknowingly, not noticing she was talking. "What was it like? Did ye have fun? Have ye got any friends? Are there any pretty girls? Do you-" He was cut off by a hand covering his mouth.

"Let the lass speak." Said George, being the one who had covered Seb's mouth.

She shook her head at Seb's last finished question, so like a boy. She answered his questions one at a time, "Believe it, I lived in Gruber. 'Twas alri'. I had three main friends, with who I had lots o' fun. I'm ain't been 'ere in five years, remember, so I ain't sure if there are any 'pretty girls', but there prob'ly is. An' I know the last question ye were goin' to ask was, Would any of 'em like ye. I don't know that one either." She looked at Seb and rolled her eyes as George released his moth chuckling. "You're such a boy" she stated.

"Surely there's some'un ye'd want ta recognise ye." Seb said rubbing his jaw, which had gone numb from George's tight grip.

"Nah." She said

"Oh come on, ye said ye had three friends. Wouldn't ye like ta see at least one of em again?" Urged George, Seb just nodding in agreement.

This time she gave a thoughtful look. Listening to the whisper of the wind passing through the leaves. The rattle of the caravans on the hard earth behind them, the giggling of the gypsy children, and the excited chatter of the gypsy men and women. To the sounds around her she remembered her own childhood. "There is one person . . ." Aly said with a faint and distant smile of remembrance. "Reg – Reginald" sighing at the thought of a reunion.

Seb and George eyed her suspiciously; Aly was to deep in thought to notice. "Who's that 'en? George asked.

"Yeah, some old love or some'at?" Seb added

Aly burst out laughing, "No way!" She blurted. Barely containing a fit of laughter she explained. But she couldn't contain a giggle every now and then. "He was my best friend, inseparable, the two of us were."

"Rew, Hii" Cleo Hissed angrily.

"The three of us." Aly corrected, "sorry Cleo. We use ta get inta the worst trouble. 'Atlantia and Reginald, Gruber's biggest heart-attack cause.' We were known all through town. I'm not sure they'll recognise me, but I'll bet ye they remember me. An I'm sure as hell I could name a few people who wouldn't be the happiest ta see me again, one in particular."

"Ye know this is one of the biggest part of yer past ye've told us." Sebastian informed her.

"Yeah, well when ye are tryin' to forget ya past ye don't talk about it." She retorted quietly.

Anything Sebastian or George were going to say in reply was cut short by the call to stop and set up camp. All three split up to go about their separate duties then set up for the show they will perform in town later.

* * *

"Ready Aly?" Seb asked pulling her out of her trance.

"Ah . . ." She breathed, trying to come back from her trance. Such a big crowd, how many did she know? Could she see Reg? What does he look like now? How much has he grown? Would anyone recognise her? Would she mess up? She hadn't messed up in a long time.

"Aly?!?" Seb cried shaking her. He wondered what had got into her; she had never gotten nervous before. The crowd was rather large, and she was probably worried that someone would recognise her.

"Sorry, I'm ready now." She said pushing his hands off her shoulders. Damn him for putting the idea of a reunion with Reg in her head. "I'll go up to George, wait for the signal." She had said, it was pretty simple to remember but he had messed up a couple of times. He might mess up this time with such a big crowd.

"Will do" he replied as she dashed off into a side street. As he gathered up his violin he looked up to wait for Aly's signal.

After dashing into the ally she climbed up a ladder leading to the top of one of the buildings. "Hay George!" She said spotting George fiddling with something in a bag at the far end of the roof.

"'Ere ye are" he said handing her something when she reached him. "The show's gonna look spectacular, with the moon behind ye and all. A perfect night for ropewalkin'. But ye'd make it spectacular no matter what the set up."

"I learnt from the best," she said teasingly, referring to him.

He smiled and ruffled her hair, "Now go 'n' take everyone's heart away on the wind." He advised her, teasing right back.

With a slight nod she made her way to the edge of the roof and crouched next to the rope that she would soon have to walk. She then used the objects, that George gave her, to breathe fire into the air. In the process lighting up a torch that would eliminate any daring ropewalker's moves. At the other end of the rope a gypsy awaiting that signal lit another the torch. With that a note on a violin was struck. These three things caught all the viewers' attention.

"Masters and Mistresses!" Sebastian started; the violin struck being his. "Children and Wise Elders, Ruffians and Nobles! It is my extreme pleasure and amazing honour to introduce to you the daring, and most _beautiful_ of ropewalkers!" Aly rolled her eyes, why did he always have to make such a glorious speech. He always did no matter how many threats she made. "I give you the cat-like grace, lion-like courage and bird-like movements of . . . 'WIND WHISPER!'" At the yell of her performance name she got out of her crouching position. Sebastian struck up a slow tune on his violin and she walked out onto the rope, keeping in time with the eerie tune.

Her pants were billowy with tight cuffs at her ankles and a tight waistband so no one could look up her pants and they wouldn't fall down. It was the closest thing she could wear to a skirt and females were frowned upon if they wore pants. This was an exception on the rope for her and these pants were specially made for her to look as close as a skirt as possible.

Her shirt was very similar to her pants. It was billowy and has tight cuffs. It was tucked into the waistband of her pants. To keep the collar from annoying her it was tied up to her collarbone. This too was made especially for her.

For anyone else such billowy cloths would annoy them and cause them to have many mistakes. But not her, not even her hair annoyed her. Her dark billowy brown curls reached down to her waist, she only had two small braids behind her ears, one behind each. The braids met up at the back of her head to be held together by a hairpin. This hairpin was one of her only possession from her past life. There were only two reasons she had even a small part of her hair tied up. One, she loved to watch the audiences reaction, and the braids held her hair away from her eyes. Two, the hairpin was her lucky charm, whenever she didn't have it in her hair she would mess up her performance. It had to be in her hair, if it was in her waistband or with her other belongings she would mess up. She believed it was her mother watching over her from the heavens. As much as she tried to forget her past life it would come back to haunt her.

When she reached the middle of the tightrope she turned to look at the audience. A dramatic wind blew her cloths and hair behind her.

Seb's violin music got faster and she started her performance. A mix of flips, cartwheels and other complicated moves. After about four minutes Cleo joined the performance. This amazed the crowd even more. Two minutes of dazzling moves saw Aly crouched over Cleo with flame sprouting out of Aly's mouth. To the crowd this was by magic but truly she was using fire breather equipment.

Aly then stood and bowed to her dazed crowd of watchers. Sebastian bowing in unison to Aly, below her on the ground.

Aly then stalked off the rope to where George was waiting for her. She took a refreshing swallow from the water he offered her, and smiled at the praised he gave her. After being enveloped in a bear hug she climbed down the ladder to see how much coin they had gathered. Cleo was daintily following behind her.

"How do ye think we did?" Aly asked Cleo.

"Grrow" Cleo said making a movement with her head that looked like a nod.

"Good huh?" Aly said looking down at her.

They met Sebastian at the end of the ally; he looked like he was bursting with joy. As soon as he saw her he basically did, he started talking so fast that no one on earth would understand him.

"Wow, that good?" Aly said, not understanding herself a word that he said. But knowing that for him to be that excited they must have done really well. She bent down and scooped up Cleo, Seb still jabbering like a madman. Aly looked at Cleo with the biggest grin on her face. Looking back at Seb, still with a big grin on her face, she lay a hand on his arm. She then said calmly and slowly, "take a breath and say each word slowly. An' preferably easy ta understand."

He did as she said. After taking a deep breath he started again. "That was the best performance ever! Gruber is a shining star, an' when I say shine I mean they got heaps of coin."

Aly laughed, "Good ta hear ye think me ol' town is so great." She replied. When she was little she would have corrected what you said (if someone talked like that) before she would answer, but not any more. "So how much did we actually make?" She asked as they started finding their way through the crowd. They couldn't talk until they reached another part of town because everyone started cheering another act.

"What was I gonna say?" Seb said when they finally escaped the joyous crowd.

"Ye were gonna tell me how much we made." Aly reminded him.

"How much _ye_ made, I'm just the musician." He said

"Exactly, me performance wouldn't be half as amazing if there wasn't any music. So 'tis _we_ made!" She retorted.

Seb would have argued if he didn't see that threatening mixed with teasing glance that she gave him. "Alri'!" he gave in "Have it your way!" He said putting shielding arms above his head. "Fifty gold!" He cried. He then looked at her gawping face and doubled over in laughter; "it's heaps ain't it."

"You're lying." She accused him, recovering from her surprise.

He shook his head; "there were a lot o' people Aly." He said trying to justify the amount. "But it's a load more then I thought we'd get."

"That's so much!" Said Aly

"Yeah, the people in Gruber are so generous." Said Seb, "I heard the violinists per forming for the towns people got sixty gold 'n' five silver 'n' only one bronze."

"My, I wonder how much we'll get next show." Aly said

"Well word'll get around town, so there will be more people there. But the ones that were there today will want to something a tad different. So about seventy, especially if ye don't perform till the end of the week. An' maybe we'd get more if we . . ." He listed all the ways they could earn more.

"What?" She asked suspiciously.

She was going to kill him, but here goes. "If we told em who ye are maybe they would be so amazed they would give more."

She gave him a stern look and he put his arms over his head again.

"It was just a thought!" He cried, "but it's true they would probably give more money to someone they knew."

"I'll think about it . . ." She trailed of when she suddenly stoped walking. Cleo jumped out of her arms and landed daintily on the ground.

"What's wrong Aly?" He asked, he looked where she was looking and saw the little building. "Please tell me I'm gonna find out more about your past." He said gathering she probably knew the place.

Aly started walking towards the small stone building. She knew the place but she just couldn't remember it correctly. How did she know the place? What was it? Who lived there? Did Reg live there? She vaguely remembered it but it looked so different from her memory of it.

A couple of families were walking towards them. Obviously coming from the joyous gypsy shows. One little boy came rushing up to Aly. "You shouldn't go near there mam, tis haunted."

Pulled out of her second trance that day she looked at the boy. "Who by?" She didn't remember any haunted houses.

A little girl then ran up to the boys side, Your Wind Whisper!" She exclaimed.

"Ah . . . yeah, who's the house haunted by?" She asked again.

"The Pachonté Family" the girl said

"Yeah, mister Fabrizio, his wife Maria and their daughter Atlantia." The boy finished for her.

Before Aly could ask any more questions their parents called them. They managed to call good bye over their shoulder as they ran after their parents.

As Aly chuckled quietly to herself Seb wondered if there had been two Atlantias', it was a very unusual name. "Do you know the place?" He finally asked.

All he got in answer was a nod before she started moving towards the house again.

"Hey, you shouldn't go near there it's haunted" Seb warned

"No it ain't," she said quietly finally looking back at him

"How do you know?" He retorted

"'Twas my house," she said touching the door. She chuckled again, "they think we're hauntin' the house."

"Ain't your ma 'n' pa dead?" Seb asked

"Yeah, but neither of them died here . . . but tis possible both of their soles came here. To be together." She took her hand off the door. At the thought of her parents she kissed and touched to her forehead the side of her lightly fisted right hand. "Let's go," she said putting her arm through Seb's before dragging him along.

"I can't believe Gruber has a haunted house!" Seb exclaimed allowing himself to be dragged along by Aly. While she just shook her head at his stupidity.

"Haunted! Ye must be referring to the Pachonté house" said a girl with auburn hair walking towards them. "That's just a story the adults made up to keep the little 'uns in check. If ye ask me," she said stopping in front of Aly and Seb, whom had stopped when she started talking to them. "It ain't haunted one bit. Their still alright, well at least two of 'em. Maria died years ago when Atlantia was two. Well she disappeared an' never came back, so everyone says she's dead. But Fabrizio an' Atlantia moved away five years ago and are probably still alive today. As soon as they left the ghost stories started. The place was boarded up so as to support the tales." The Girl looked them up and down. "You a couple of the gypsies that have come to town?" She asked finally giving them a chance to speak.

Aly looked at Seb he obviously wasn't going to answer, luckily Cleo had disappeared so if the girl knew her she wouldn't know it was she. "Yes, tis great here you are all so generous." Aly answered, Seb seemed a little love struck.

"Tia - Atlantia would have loved you, she loved gypsies. Come ta think of it she loved anything adventurous." She Said.

"Ye knew her?" Seb asked finally finding his voice.

"Aye" the girl said, "I was one of her three friends and I was the only girl she was friends with. I had such a time tryin' to keep up with her an' Reg. But she was a great friend when ye were with her."

"So ye must have known her pretty well, what was her family like?" Asked Seb seeing this as a chance to get more information on Aly's past.

"Ye mean her Father." She corrected, "he was great at making up stories, I've never heard anyone tell stories like him. We loved coming over to Tia's house just to hear his stories. Her favourite was 'The Prince and The Worrier Princess'. Well come to think of it, it was everyone's favourite. We listened to that one almost every time, we never got sick of it."

"Was she annoying sometimes?" Said Seb, knowing that Aly was going to kill him later.

The girl gave a snort. "She had this one really annoying habit. Her father had taught her to talk like some noble an' she just couldn't stand grammatical errors. She would always be correcting us." She gave a broad smile, "sometimes she just gave up and rolled her eyes instead.

"Wow, that does sound annoying it would be terrible to have to live with her." Seb stated, so far he was going to die anyway what's holding him back.

"My, I have to get ta work." Said the girl with surprise. "Me names Lilla by the way, if ye see me around just give a shout, I'll be glad to help you around town" With a little wave Lilla was gone.

Seb watched her go but was disturbed by a hand lightly, but not too lightly, knocking him over the head. "AH!" He cried, "what was that for?"

"Ye love struck dolt!" Aly said with a hint of amusement. "Ye should not stare at her so. She could catch on." She teased.

"Why didn't you tell her it was you, she might have stayed longer." Seb told her thinking only of how much he had liked Lilla. "She was beautiful."

"Why did you go an' ask her those questions? Ye know I might just kill ye now." Aly said instead.

"How else am I gonna find out about ye? Your obviously not gonna say. Besides some of that was pretty funny." This earned him a shove that almost made him fall over.

"'It would be terrible to have to live with her'" She mimicked him.

"I still wish ye had told her it's ye so you could introduce us." Seb said.

At this she snorted, "she seemed to introduce herself. Anyway if I'm gonna tell anyone it's me it would be Reg. No one else, I'm gonna keep quiet remember." Aly said.

"Ye say that now, but just keep in mind how much gold we could get if we told everyone." Seb said his mind going back to all the gold they had collected.

She rolled her eyes, whenever they were in towns Seb's mind was always on girls and money. "I told ye I'll think about it. But it will take some'at really tremendous to change my mind. But I doubt that will happen."

"Fine but I bet you three gold you will change your mind." Seb said.

"I'll bet twenty if ye want, cause I'm not gonna change my mind." She said, "so thank ye because ye will pay for me drinks one night."

"I'll only bet three. Ye aren't gonna go drinkin' are ye? Ye know Connia and the others disapprove." He said, Connia being the eldest of the gypsy family.

"I don' care, anyway I'm just gonna sit there and watch everyone. To see if I know any of em." She said.

"An' ye will end up drinkin' ye'self stupid an' disappearin' for a night." He said.

"I always come back don' I?" She said not expecting an answer.

She got one anyway. "Ye do. But still, ye go out drinkin' with men every town we go to." He said being worried about her.

'Who needs a big brother when you've got Seb?' she thought. "I'm a big girl I can look after me self." She told him.

Cleo suddenly appeared. She just walked up to Aly and sat there till she was picked up. Aly started walking in the direction of camp with Cleo in her arms, Seb quickly caught up to her side and stayed there as they walked.

"I'm still worried about you." He said.

"Cleo understands, she went away when she knew Lil was coming. An' stayed away." Aly said.

"Yes but Cleo an' ye are like two sides of a coin. The two of ye know exactly what each other want, hell ye can even understand each other an' know what the other is thinking." Retorted Seb.

"Ye know that if I got into trouble Cleo would come strait to you an' George." She justified, "Cleo is much more responsible then me. I'm only irresponsible at times though."

He gave her a look that said 'you think'.

"Can we just stop talkin' bout this?" She said.

"Fine. But I'm gonna settle this one day, an' ye know George will side with me." Seb said truthfully. They had this argument every town they went to.

They walked in silence for a while, when suddenly Aly gave a sigh.

"What is it?" Seb asked thinking she was upset about their argument.

But she had already forgotten about that, they fought so often. She turned her face to him to reveal a hint of a smile. "I was just thinking about how much Lil has changed. What did I expect when I haven't seen her for five years?"

"I just keep findin' out more 'n' more about ye today." Said Seb trying not to talk about Lil too much so that Aly wouldn't notice he liked Lil. Though Aly already had.

"You've found out quite a lot. An' if I have anythin' ta do with it you wont find out any more for some time." Aly informed him with a bit of warning. "Besides," she said with a hint of a smile, "I don't think that head of yours can hold any more information." She said knocking on his skull before running off. "First one to camp gets top bunk tonight!" She said over her shoulder.

It was a strange sight. Because Cleo climbed up onto Aly's shoulder as she ran.

"Hay! No fair!" He cried as he ran after her, "you got a head start!'

This just made her laugh.

He didn't mind if she got there before him, she would just give away the bunk. She always did, she might even give it to him. She wouldn't just give it away because she probably wouldn't come back to camp tonight. She always gave it away, she said it was because she liked to sleep under the stars. He knew that was only half true, because whenever she got drunk she would go and sleep in a proper bed.

No matter how fast he ran he was always just a step behind her. When they reached camp she started jumping up and down.

"I am the winner!" She cried

"I just let you win," he said

"Ye say that every time, just admit it I'm faster than ye." She told him.

"Never" he said not giving in.

"Oh, yeah?" Asked Aly with an evil grin that made Seb suspicious.

"Nah" he said slowly, still not giving in.

"Alright then" she said turning around to give Seb false hope.

His sigh of relief was cut short when she tackled him. He had to give it to her she was strong, and very limber. Well how else would she be able to perform those tricks on the tightrope.

Their little fight lasted about ten minutes and ended with Aly sitting on Seb's back to hold him down while she held his hands together in front of her. He tried to struggle out from under her grip but it was no use. She was very strong, even if she was a foot shorter then him.

"Let go!" He cried.

"Not till you admit I'm faster then you." She said with an evil like laugh. "An' while ye are at it admit that I'm stronger then you to."

"Never!" He cried.

"Are ye sure?" She asked as she pushed a hand into his back.

He gave a squeak of pain, mostly surprise, "Fine!" He cried finally giving in.

"Say it" She urged.

"You are faster and stronger than me." He muttered.

"What did ye say?" She asked teasingly.

"Ye are faster and stronger then me." He said clearly this time.

"Good work" she said releasing his arms. She ruffled his hair before getting off of him. "Now was that that hard?" She asked.

He just growled in reply. He caught sight of Cleo sitting on a log, "ye were no help."

Aly laughed, "Ye were expectin' help from Cleo? If Cleo was goin' to help any one it would be me." She took her hairpin out and said, "I'm gonna get changed."

He just nodded and set about lighting a fire for when the rest of the gipsies got back.

Aly closed the caravan door behind her and went strait to the wooden lockup box that held her belongings. She quickly took off her performance cloths and grabbed out some new cloths and a little bag. After putting on the clean cloths she picked up the little bag and took out the contents. A gold locket necklace. It had a picture of her mother on one side and a picture of her father in the other. Her father had given it to her after they had moved so she would always know what her mother had looked like. On the front it had her name so that she would always know it was hers.

Her father had had two other lockets made one for him with a picture of her in one side and a picture of her mother in the other. This to had had his name on the front. That one he always wore the other Aly now held in her hand. She examined the engraved name on the front. 'Maria'. Her father had had it made even though her mother was dead. It had a picture of Aly in one side and her father in the other.

Aly carried this one around in her belt, as if her mother would one-day turn up to be given the trinket. Aly picked up the hairpin and her mother's locket and put them into the little bag before attaching the bag to her belt. She picked up her locket and slid it over her head.

She put the locket under the neckline of her dress. The touch of the cool metal against her skin soothed her. She mainly hid the locket under her dress because she was going back into town. It would be a disaster if someone saw the name engraved on it, and that wouldn't help her to keep quiet.

She took her cloak out of her lockup box before locking it. She was the only one with a lockup box, but then she wasn't gypsy born so they respected her privacy.

She left the caravan to see Seb sitting in front of the newly lit fire. When he saw her he offered her an apple, which she accepted.

"I know I can't stop you from going to the tavern. But I can make sure that ye have something ta eat." Seb said.

"Thank you" she said. She tied her cloak on. She bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek before walking backwards away from the camp. She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers in a good bye. "Don't wait up for me!" She said with a smile before tacking a bite out of her apple.

"I haven't done that since before you were fourteen!" He called after her.

"You can have the top bunk if you want!" She called over her shoulder. Before she disappeared through the trees.

He shook his head; she never changed. He looked around but no one was there. Cleo had even disappeared five minutes ago, probably to wait for Aly in town. Oh well, it wouldn't take long for the first few gypsies to start coming back. He poked the fire and it roared up.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Reunions**

Now Aly was dressed in her green dress, and just like her performance cloths it was very billowy. It was a dark green like grass, over it she wore a dark brown cloak so from the back no one could tell she was a gypsy.

Her hair was now undone and free flowing, but it was covered by the hood of the cloak. Her hairpin was now where it always was when she wasn't performing, in a bag on her belt. She had a black leather belt, it held two pouches, one with coins and the other with a couple of mementoes from her past life.

'If I remember correctly, the tavern is only five minutes' walk from here.' Aly thought to herself 'well with this crowd anyway.'

Trying hard to remember its exact location in her fogged memory she pushed through the crowd hearing different things being called everywhere. At least none of the gypsies noticed her.

"Finally" she breathed breaking free of the crowd. Knowing that none of the gypsies would look her way she slid the hood of her cloak off her head. A cool breeze lifted her hair away from her face.

"Ms Freedman!" Someone cried behind her.

'Good luck to that fellow finding her in that mess.' Aly thought.

Someone taped her on the shoulder "Ms Freedman?" He said, "I need to-"

He cut short when he saw it wasn't who he thought it was. Aly having turned around when he tapped her on the shoulder, took this gap to talk. "No I ain't no Ms Freedman. But I wish you luck finding her in that mess." She said tilting her head towards the crowd.

"Sorry miss, you look a lot like her from the back." Said the boy.

"Tis al'right." Replied Aly, ever since she had turned around she had been trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. Suddenly it hit her. But before she could speak he did.

"You're one of those gypsies ain't you?" He said noticing her dress. "Your performance must have been very good, though I don't remember you."

"Aye, I'm a gypsy." Aly said, she debated correcting him like she had done in the old times. Deciding against it, "Do you go about givin' compliments to every strange woman ye meet in the street, Reginald?"

"Well only when they're as pretty as . . ." he trailed of as what she had said hit him. By now she couldn't contain a grin. "Wait, do I know you?" He said dumbfounded.

He was even more surprised when she gave a laugh. "My, Reg ye are even more of a fool than I remember."

When she called him Reg he knew it was Atlantia, she was the only person he knew who called him that. "Letti?" He asked amazed. She just laughed and gave a nod. "It couldn't possibly, I've talked so wrong an' ye haven't corrected me. An' ye talk nothing like ye use to."

"Believe it" she said with the biggest of grins. "I go by 'Aly' now." She told him.

"Why?" He asked.

"That's what the gypsies call me, I'm use to it now." She said.

"Ok" he said.

"Oh . . . an' you're not to tell anyone I'm here though." She told him.

"What? Why?" Said Reg surprised.

"I'll explain over a pint," she said, "an' ye can tell me who this Ms Freedman is." She told him walking the way she thought the tavern was.

She went to turn right when Reg grabbed her arm "The New Beginnings is this way." He said pointing to the left and using the name of the tavern.

She only remembered what the tavern was called when he used the name. "Well I ain't been 'ere in a while, an' anyway it ain't like I had to know where the New Beginnings was when we were young." Aly replied, trying to justify her wrong turn.

"Yeah sure, whatever ye say." He said leading her away, she groaned but didn't resist his pulling her along too much. "Ye're still as stubborn as a mule I see." He stated.

She elbowed him in the stomach, "so what if I am," she said.

"That hurt" he said before stopping her from taking the wrong turn again.

"Ye're a weakling." She said.

"Am not!" He said.

"I've already had to fight one person so they admit some'at, tonight. I'm not afraid to fight ye to." She said remembering her brawl with Seb not so long ago.

"What did that poor fella have to admit?" Reg asked.

"That I'm faster than him, then I made him say I'm stronger than him to." Aly said with a smile.

"How'd ye get him ta do that." Reg wondered, "the poor fella must have lost his honour to be beat by a girl."

"We brawled for a few minutes, but I ended up sitting on his back an' holding his arms." She said.

"Ah . . . that would do it. The poor fella must be so embarrassed." Said Reg understanding how she did it.

"Nah . . . his honour ain't hurt too much, we were alone at camp. No one saw." She said, "even among the gypsies he would get teased if he got beat in front of everyone."

"So ye were alone?" He asked suspiciously.

"There is nothing romantic goin' on between us, an' please don't start worryin' about me love life. I got two people doin' that already." She pleaded.

"Fine" he said. He pushed the door to the New Beginnings open. He held it for Aly.

She walked through and was immediately greeted by the smell of stale ale and the heat of the hearth.

"There's not as many people as usual, their prob'ly at the show. Tis quite a festivity." He said leading her to a small bench.

"Ye come here often?" She asked.

"Whenever I got a free night." He said

"An' I s'pose that's almost every night." She said teasingly.

"Only a few times a week" he said

"Sure" She yelled back as they passed through a big group.

"Well come on, what's happened to ye since ye left Gruber?" Reg said when they sat down.

"I agreed I would tell you over a pint. An' I don't see a pint." She stated, taking her cloak of and placing it on the back of the chair.

"Fine" he said, knowing that meant she wanted a pint. He got up to go to the bar.

"No need Regi. What might ye want an' what might the girl want?" said one of the barmaids putting a hand on his shoulder to hold him in his seat. "My ye got yer self a gypsy, ye do that every time gypsies come to town, an' I've told ye before; stop tryin' to replace Tia with these girls, even if they have the same spirited nature." She looked at Aly. "Wait I know ye-"

"Just a couple of pints Lil" said Reg remembering Letti was trying to keep her being in town secret. He was still to be told why.

"One moment." She told Reg. "Ye were one of the ones I meet on me way to work." Said Lil turning her attention back to Aly. "Ye were with that very handsome gypsy, I liked him." She said with a giggle. "Anyway I was in such a rush ta get ta work that I did no' get yer names."

"Uh . . . well" Aly said hesitating. 'How do I make sure she doesn't find out it's me?' she thought, she had to come up with a diversion. "His name is Sebastian and I'm Aly." She said and before Lil could say anything she attempted to change the subject. "Did ye see any of the performances?"

Both Lil and Reg nodded their heads. "Which one were ye in?" Said Reg getting the idea of the change in subject.

She groaned, why did she choose this subject? She hated it just as much. "Well . . ." she said. "I'm gonna kill Seb" she then muttered under her breath, he always introduced her too fancily. She then asked, hoping they hadn't, "Did ye see any of the rope walkers?"

They both nodded again, damn it. "Which one were ye?" Asked Lil already in awe, wait till she found out which one she was.

"Ah, well . . . ye see . . ." Aly hesitated. "Bloody 'ell" she cursed, may as well get it over and done with. "I'm Wind Whisper!" She said putting her arms up in a 'Ta-da' pose. "Ok," she said to the two drop-jawed faces in front of her, "Now I really need a bloody pint."

"Ye should not be ashamed of that." Said Lil regaining her composure. "But alri' I'll go get ye yer pints now." She said still a little amazed. She then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Are ye serious?" Asked Reg unbelieving.

"Aye!" Aly said looking very serious, "bloody Seb always makes me sound so grand." She said grudgingly.

"Ye shouldn't be ashamed of that, ye were amazing." He said. His eyes slowly went wider than they already were, he had obviously realised something. "Was that Pat performing with ye?" He said thinking that it could have been Letti's old cat Cleopatra.

"Aye that was Cleo, she's gettin' old now."

"So-" Reg started.

"'Ere ye are, two pints." Said Lil putting the pints down just a little too fast, as a bit of ale spilt on the bench. "So is-"

"Hey you two, how are ye goin'" said a boy their age sitting down at the bench. "Did ye see that Wind Whisper? Was she pretty or what? I think maybe I'll go find her an' ask her ta dance or some'at." He said straitening up his collar.

As Lil put her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back laughter with no success, Aly answered tautly. "I'm already here an' ye ain't me type." She had almost straight away guessed who it might be.

He suddenly noticed her and just as suddenly his hopes were squashed. "Uh . . . hello." He said dumbstruck. Realising she didn't know who he was he put out his hand. "I – I'm Joseph" he told her, but she already knew it was him.

"Aly" she said taking his hand and shaking. She was with her three oldest friends in her old town. She never saw this coming.

"Now come on yer name must be longer than that. Though it is just as unusual as any gypsies." Said Lil catching her out. The female gypsies usually had names that were at least three syllables.

"Ah . . . well . . ." Aly said trying to think. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked to Reg for help. He obviously had no clue what to do, and was biting his lip a little. No ideas came to her, and obviously Lil and Jo – Joseph intended to spend the night with them. It would be impossible to keep the truth from them all night, especially since Reg wanted to know what had happened to her and if she got drunk. She was more than likely to get drunk and she had promised Reg she would tell him what had happened in the past five years. She gave in with a sigh, saying under her breath "so much for keeping quiet."

"Well do ye?" Said Jo impatiently.

Reg who had been racking his brain for an idea also gave up, "just tell em,'" he advised.

Aly gave a nod, "Well Jo, Lil, I think ye can just about guess now. But ye are not to tell anyone I'm 'ere." She said.

"How did ye know we call him Jo? We don' know any gypsies." Said Lil looking at her with amazement. While Jo just had a puzzled look on his face.

Aly put her head to the table and groaned while Reg chuckled. "Ye two are thicker than a great oak." Aly finally said after a minute, lifting her head off the table. She rubbed a temple and said, "I'll spell it out for ye then –"

"No thanks," she was interrupted by Jo. "I ain't the best at spelling."

Aly gave another groan and Reg laughed even harder. "I – AM – AT – LAN – TI – A!" She said.

"Oh, my!" Lil cried.

"Yeah well, as I said before, keep it quiet. Al-" She cut off when her air was. Both Lil and Jo had decided at the same time to envelop her in a bear hug. Disentangling herself she cried between breaths, "no – air must – breath!"

With a laugh they released her, Lil whipping tears from her eyes.

"Never figured ye for the weepy sort Lil." Aly said laughing.

"I feel like such a fool." Lil said.

"Why? Because of the weeping?" Asked Aly surprised.

"No, well partly. But mainly cause I was telling ye about ye'self earlier tonight" Said Lil.

"Seb was very happy ye did so. He's learnt quite a lot today." Said Aly. "Well now is the time ta ask questions if ye got any." She told them taking a swig from her pint.

She was suddenly bombarded with questions from all three, at the same time.

Reg asked, "Who's this Sebastian guy? What happened to Fabrizio? Why are ye a gypsy now?"

Lil asked, "Are ye an' Sebastian lovers? Ye were arm in arm when I came across ye. What does he do in the performances? How long are ye in Gruber?"

While Jo asked, "Why do ye talk differently now? Are ye gonna stay in Gruber? How did ye learn to do those rope walker moves?"

"Aghhh!" Aly cried, they were doing what Seb had done that morning. She didn't have enough hands so she just said, "alri' shut up! I'll just tell ye the whole story and hope I answer all yer questions." She stared at all three, they all had their mouths shut and were waiting for her story. "Where shall I start?" Aly sad thoughtfully. Lil pulled a cloth out of her apron to wipe up the ale she spilt earlier. "I know, how bout the beginning?" Aly asked not wanting an answer. "Well after I left 'ere I went to Owlron. We bought a two-story house, about a ten-minute walk from town. It took me a while to get to know anyone, until then pa told me stories and talked to me. After I made friends he still did that. I had fun but not as much fun as I 'ad 'ere. After a while I started to feel at home an' after two years I was completely settled." Aly took a sip from her pint. "One night I snuck out to go see a... friend in town. When I came home, just a little before dawn so pa was still asleep. When – when I got 'ome," Aly started stuttering and she couldn't prevent a few tears from falling. "The house was engulfed in flame. No way of gettin' i-in an' no way of gettin' out. An' there was no – no sign of pa outside. I made a grave head an' carved his name in it. When the sun had risen I left Owlron behind. All that was left of the 'ouse – an' me pa – was a pile of ashes."

Everyone gave sympathetic looks as Aly composed herself and had another swallow of ale. He had made all of them feel like part of the family.

"I managed to get to the next town, Whenherp, by walking an' taking rides on carts that were headed that way. Once I got there I tried a few different things, but they didn't work out. For the next three months I ended up a thief, but not a very good one. Seb – Sebastian an' George found me on the edge of town, passed out with starvation. Th-" Aly was interrupted.

"Who's George?" Asked Reg.

"I'll get to that." Aly told him. "They took me to the gypsies. They gave me food warmth, company, other than a cat that is. That's when I decided that I was gonna start a new life, an' forget my past. I never told any of the gypsies anything about the past, except that both my parents are dead." Aly took another gulp of ale. "Seb became kind of a big brother. Always helping when I need help, catching me when I fall off the rope in practice and anything else he can do to help me learn the gypsy ways. After a couple of months I decided that I wanted to help them get money, to pay them back an' earn my keep. I didn't really want to dance prettily. I had ta think for a while about what I wanted to do, an' ye know what I chose. When I decided that I wanted to do rope walkin' I went to George. When he saw I had a knack for the ropes he took me on as an apprentice. He taught me everything I know. Cleo also likes to join in."

"Cleo?" Jo and Lil asked together.

"Pat – remember she's called Cleopatra." Aly reminded them. "The gypsies an' I call her Cleo." She told them. "Well that's what I call her now, I'm tryin' to forget my past." Aly said to their accusing looks. "So George taught me then I would perform with him or one of the other rope walkers. When we found out that I brought in a lot o' coin I got put on the rope on me own. Sebastian became my partner an' I was given my performance name. It was actually a pet name George gave me when I became his apprentice."

"It's very fitting." Jo said.

"Thanks," Aly said with a smile. "So now Seb does my intro an' music while I do tricks on the rope." Aly took a swig from her pint and pushed it away.

Lil picked up the empty mug saying, "I'll just go get ye a refill, sounds like ye need it."

Jo nodded in agreement. "Could ye get me one to Lil" he called after her.

"So why did ye change the way ye speak?" Reg asked taking a sip of his ale.

"I'm tryin' to forget me past, it helps, cause whenever I speak like that it reminds me of pa." She said then adding as an afterthought, "also it helps me hide among the gypsies, the way I use ta talk makes me standout"

"So are ye gonna stay in Gruber?" Asked Jo as Lil appeared with two pints.

"No... I'm gonna keep travelling with the gypsies" Aly said to everyone's disappointment. "I promise I'll say hello every time I come through. I just have too many memories 'ere. It's easier on me emotions if I don't live 'ere. Also I've made friends among the gypsies, an' I like the travelling lifestyle."

"We understand, don' we you two?" Said Lil eyeing off the boys.

"Yes!" Cried Jo putting his hands in front of his face defensively. Obviously Lil was still as strong as she use to be.

"Yeah, but I wish ye could stay. Ye are me best friend Letti, an' I've missed ye so much." Said Reg giving her a pleading look.

Aly patted his hand. "An' yer mine. Could ye stop callin' me Letti – it brings back to many memories."

"I understand all this other stuff Lett, but ye have to remember who ye are a little bit. So I will always call ye Letti." He said decisively.

Aly took a big swig from her pint. "Go easy on the ale Tia." Lil advised. When Aly gave Lil a look that could kill she said, "Regi's got a point!"

"Fine have it your way!" Aly said finishing her ale besides Lil's warning. "Nother please."

"Alri" said Lil picking up the mug and disappearing into the crowd a third time.

"Who's this Ms Freedman?" Aly asked deciding she didn't want to talk about her life any more.

"She's a kind of healer, she can cure pretty much anythin'. She came a year ago an' has been 'ere since." Jo answered for Reg.

"Ah . . ." said Aly with an evil grin. "An' might there be some silly sickness ye had made up to gain her attentions?" By now Aly was slightly tipsy and was hiding her moods less.

"Pah . . . no way would Regi do that!" Lil proclaimed putting another pint in front of Aly. "Regi is too shy to do that, well at least with girls he likes. Also, she's almost twice our age, prob'ly is." Lil justified.

"Oh . . . now I feel like a fool" said Aly with a snort.

"Nah, I'm the fool," said Lil, "Tellin' ye all about yourself." She said bringing it up again.

"Ye had no idea 'twas me Lil" Aly justified. She then turned her attention back to Reg. "So why were lookin' for a healer?"

Reg and everyone suddenly turned solemn. "Ma's got a pretty bad illness. An' it just keeps gettin' worse, I was gonna ask Ms Freedman for a different herb that might work better. But I doubt there is." Reg said.

Letti put her hand on his arm and looked at him with pure sympathy. "Ye gotta keep yer hopes up Reg."

Aly knew that he was the only one to look after his mother. No one ever knew his father. Reg's mother had only told him that the man was there one night and gone the next. His mother didn't even know who he was. Nine months after mystery man there was Reg. If Reg didn't look after her no one would, well not with as much love as him.

"She'll be fine, ye know it." Aly comforted him.

"Looks like ye need a new pint, I'll just pop to the bar," said Lil to Reg.

"Get me another while ye are there" said Jo.

"Will do. I s'pose ye need another to?" Lil asked Aly.

"This is so depressing, I think I might need it." Aly replied. "If ye can carry it all." She said kind of offering to help.

"No, I've no problem doing it on me own. It's my job ain't it?" Said Lil before disappearing yet again. Carrying two empty mugs, Aly hadn't finished hers yet but she still asked for another.

"Every now 'n' again ye can hear that girl ye use ta be." Said Jo, "Ye know that one who use ta correct us an' talk like a noble." He joked, nudging Reg.

"I'm kinda glad ye've dropped that. Every time we said some'at ye would correct us." Reg added with a grin. Then he tried to mimic her voice, "'Every time we said _something_ _you_ would correct us.'" Both of them burst out laughing while Aly smiled.

"One, it must 'ave worked since ye know how ta correct ye'self. Two, I don' sound like that an three, it weren't every time." Listed Aly holding another finger up for each number. She shoved Reg softly.

She didn't shove softly enough and he fell backwards off his chair as Lil came back with three pints. Jo and Letti burst out laughing as Reg tried to stare at them angrily. This failed because of the huge grin on his face.

Lil put the pints on the bench then placed her hands on her hips. "What are you three up ta?" She said eyeing them off. "Ye better not start a ruckus, or I'll have ta kick ye out." She told them pointing her finger at them. Knowing their laughter was preventing them from telling her what happened.

"So much has changed in Gruber." Letti stated when everyone had finally calmed down and had a sip of ale, a gulp in her case. "Not just the people in it" she said, "but the whole town itself. Yet it's the same, in some ways."

"'Twasn't as excitin' without ye around. But we made do." Lil said with a smile.

"Mrs Webber must've been so glad when I left. Speakin' of 'er, is she still around?" Asked Aly remembering the fun she had had in the past.

"Oh yeah!" Said Jo with a laugh.

"We use ta put her through so much hell, didn't we Lett?" Reg said also remembering the times when they were children.

"Oh my, I'm amazed she didn't 'ave a heart attack." Aly said, making Jo spit a mouthful of ale all over them as he laughed harder then he had all night.

"She gives me suspicious looks every time I go near her stall" Reg said grinning.

"She runs that with Jill now." Lil reminded Reg. "Ye know Mrs Webber's daughter." Lil said when Aly gave her a blank look.

"Ah . . . now I remember." Said Aly remembering. "She's a couple of years younger than us. She tried ta help me 'n' Reg scare her mother a few of times." She giggled remembering the faces Mrs Webber use to get when she got a fright.

"I remember that. Ye wouldn't be able ta tell now." Said Jo.

"Yeah, she's a good un now" agreed Lil.

"She use ta look up to us so badly," said Reg "Mainly ye Lett."

Letti gave a week smile "I wonder why that was?"

The boys shrugged while Lil answered, "ye seemed so free an' happy. At least that's what I think it was."

Trying to shake the sullen feeling off the group Letti changed the subject. "Remember the faces Mrs Webber made when she got a fright?"

Everyone started laughing, the new subject obviously working.

"I think that's why we almost always chose her as our target." Reg said through fits of laughter.

"Prob'ly!" Aly replied also through fits of laughter.

"Remember those dark nights when we would come over to your house?" Said Jo to Aly when they had all calmed down.

"Yeah just to hear your pa's stories." Said Reg. He flinched back when Letti gave him a sharp look with an eyebrow raised. "An' ta see you o' course" he said quickly.

Jo snickered and Lil gave a broad smile while Aly tried to hide a grin in her half-empty mug and hold back laughter. The outcome was her swallowing the ale too quickly and almost chocking. As Jo thumped her on the back with all his might, which wasn't that much, Lil wiped up the ale Aly had spat out. Plus the ale Jo had spat out a little while ago.

"I have a scar on me elbow a 'cause of you comin' to my house in the middle of the night said Letti showing her right elbow to Reg.

"It ain't my fault!" aid Reg.

"Wow! How did that 'appen?" Lil asked as Jo held the arm to inspect it.

"I got it when we were ten," Letti started explaining, "Reg came over in a thunderstorm when pa was out." She said.

"It ain't my fault the door jamb got stuck!" Reg interrupted.

"Like he said, the door jamb got stuck an' threw me to the floor. Got this," Letti said gesturing to her arm. "An' hurt me rump. But all in all, I healed and ended up with this lovely scar." She said putting a bit of sarcasm in to the last few words.

"At least I bandaged your arm." Reg said trying to justify the accident.

"Yeah then pa came home and made fun of how ye didn't help me to a chair." Said Letti.

"Fabrizio was always fun to be around." Said Lil with a mournful smile.

"An' always made us laugh, Spec'ly you Tia." Added Jo.

"Mmm…" Aly said in agreement swallowing the last of her ale. "Could igeta nother ale?" She murmured her words beginning to slur together.

Lil gave her a worried look. "I… err… how do I say this?" Lil said to herself. "There's a lot of sadness in yer 'art at the moment… but well… drowning it in ale ain't gonna help."

Aly gave a groan; almost everyone she met used that argument. She knew they were right, she just hated that they were. "Fine," She said giving in. The argument would go on forever if she didn't.

"I'll go get ye some water." Suggested Lil giving one last worrying glance before heading to the bar.

"Do ye know anywhere I coul' spen' the night?" Aly asked the boys.

"Why?" Asked Reg giving her a suspicious look.

"'Cause the gypsies give me disapproving looks when I come ta camp drunk." Aly said. "So whenever I drink I find somewhere else to sleep, also it's a bad way for the kids to see me." She shrugged her shoulders.

"I dunno anywhere." Jo said helpfully.

Aly rolled her eyes. "Whatabou' ye?" She pleaded her words slurring more and more.

"I know!" Reg cried making Letti jump. "Ms Freedman has beds for her patients. She might have one spare. I'll take ye over there, I have to go see her anyway."

"Good, I'll just 'ave another drink an' we'll go." Said Aly

"'Ere," said Lil putting a pint in front of Aly. "It's watered down ale."

"Thanks." Said Aly drinking quickly.

"Me shifts almost over, I can't wait ta get home and go ta sleep." Said Lil.

"Well I'm gonna have ta find another gypsy to set me sights on." Said Jo leaning back, then he remembered Aly is a gypsy. "Do ye know any who might like me?" He asked her. "Or how I might be able ta get one."

Aly gave a giggle and got to her feet. She cupped Jo's cheek in her hand. "The only way I could help ye is ta give ye this piece of advice…" Jo's eyes lit up with hope. "Become a gypsy." She proclaimed tapping his cheek.

Reg laughed so hard he almost fell off his chair again. While Aly found her chair again giving a drunken giggle.

"Why's that?" Jo asked pulling out of his shock.

"Gypsies frown upon love between gypsies and non-gypsies. Spec'ly marriage." Aly said before taking a few more swigs of watered-down ale. "Well I'm ready ta go, how 'bout ye, Reg?"

"I'm good, come on." Said Reg getting to his feet. "Bye Lil, Jo." He said first hugging Lil then shaking hands with Jo. "See ya tomora."

"Bye Lil." Aly said giving her a hug. "Bye Jo." She said giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It's been great seeing ye all again. May hap' I'll see ye tomorrow."

"Can't wait." Said Lil picking up the empty mugs.

"I'm gonna go too." Said Jo "'Ere, Tia, ye almost forgot this." He said as he picked up her cloak and placed it on her shoulders. "Well I'll see ye latter."

"Bye" Aly waved over her shoulder as she walked to the door, Reg by her side.

Aly stumbled and grabbed onto Reg's arm. She blinked her eyes slowly. "Are ye al'right?" He said putting his free hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Uh . . . I th-ink I'll neeeed your hellp tawalk." Aly said, "thee ale'ssstartin' toget tome head." She looked up at him and gave a grin before bursting into a tipsy giggle.

"Most definitely." Reg said shaking his head.

"'Ere let me get the door for you." Jo said.

Reg manoeuvred his arm around Aly's shoulder to support her better. The three of them moved towards the door while Lil followed behind, just to see what would occur on the short walk.

When the small group was only a couple of meters away from the tavern door, it opened. Two dark figures could be made out in the shadowy door way.

The group stopped and stared, Aly looked for a moment before losing interest.

The two figures stepped into the luminous lamp light of the tavern. "We'll take her from 'ere." Said the younger one taking Aly's arm. While the older, and slightly more muscled one held the door open.

"No Seb!" Aly protested yanking her arm out of his grip.

Lil having noticed who the younger boy was had moved slightly into the shadows.

"She's not going with you," said Reg holding Aly up. Not realising who he was faced with. Jo, also not realising, positioned himself in front of Aly, protectively.

"Look mate, I 'appen to know her. So she will be coming with us." Said Seb.

"The gypsiessss salready looka' me as if I'm a dissss'race, if I come ba' like thisss s'eyl thin' I'm even worse." Said Aly as she pulled away from Reg, only to fall onto Jo's newly positioned shoulder.

Jo and Reg quickly caught her, and held her up before she became a tangled mess on the floor.

"She doesn't want to go with you, so just leave 'er alone." Said Reg, still not registering who the two men were. Lil put her face in her hand at his idiocy.

"Yeah!" Agreed Aly before breaking into a fit of drunken giggles. She managed to say, "Iss tay wiv Reg." Then stopped laughing, "wells 'orta, Reg will.." The rest could not be made out by the group as she started to mumble her ramblings.

"We-" Seb started to fight Reg's last statement when he realised what Aly had said. "Oh, so your 'Reginald'... Old and inseperable friend."

At that moment it also clicked for Reg "And your Seb best friend and big bother among the gypsies"

Aly burst into drunken giggles once more "Aye, thatsssss IT." giggling once more. "AlssssO," struggling with certain syllables now, "'ats George." Pointing at the bigger gypsy. "You 'oo, 'dis issss Jo'n Lil. Ass syou prob'ly 'membersss Seb." Then started giggling again.

George shook hands with Jo, Jo almost loosing hold of Aly in the prosces, and Lil. Seb did the same, both Seb and Lil blushing as they did.

This put Aly in a fit once more. Jo started to laugh and got a good glare from Lil, while George and Reg gave big grins.

"Why don't we move outside." Suggested Reg. In silent agreement the six of them move outside, Lil staying in the door of the tavern.

Aly found herself entertained by the lamp and the painted hanging sign of the tavern that said 'The New Beginnings Tavern'. She had never really taken notice of the name, and still didn't. She did like the painted red rose and silver dagger beside a golden crown and burning candle. It was obviously newly redone, as the paint still had the new glimmer in the lamp light, and she did remember the design from her childhood.

"Look I understand you haven't seen her years, but you can wait till morn' to see her again. Even if she will be in a frightful mood." Said Seb, when they got outside, picking up exactly where he left off.

Aly rolled her eyes. "Bloo'y 'ell" she muttered. "'ook, 'is 'ime, I gotss somewhere ta'ss spen' 'da night."

"Oh yeah? Where?" Said Seb

Reg cut in finding it harder and harder to understand her speech. "Ms Freedman's. She's bound ta 'ave a spare bed for Letti," he ignored the look he got from Aly. "She _is _the healer after all." Seb didn't look convinsed, "look, if she comes back like this," he said gesturing at Aly leaning on both Jo and him. "They will no doubt think little of 'er. So if you go back an' tell 'em that she's spendin' the night with old friends they won't mind."

"Ok," Said Seb nodding, "Just one problem... They don' know she grew up 'ere"

"Oh, jusss' tell 'em" Said Aly before staring at the sign again.

"Well I s'pose it's settled then." Said George, "See ya Whisper" He said ruffling her hair. Aly gave a drunken grin, much like a child, making George chuckle.

"Yeah... bye Aly..." Said Seb hesitantly, before turning to follow George. As they walked away Seb kept looking back, not wanting to leave Aly behind.

When they turned the corner, out of sight Jo said, "Well... that was interesting." Aly gave a small giggle.

"Yeah..." Said Reg distantly, he shook his head. "Well, let's head to Ms Freedman's."

They looked at Lil to say good bye and Aly started laughing. "I won'er w'ats got you like 'at 'en." She said.

Lil took pried her hands from the door frame straitening up and smoothing her skirts. "I ain't got a clue what ya on about."

"Letti's right, and you're as bright as a tomato." Said Reg with a smile.

Lil's hands flew to her cheeks, as if she was trying to cover the blush everyone knew was there. Aly burst into giggles once more. "I should get back to work, I'll see ya's around." Said Lil, before heading back inside.

While Jo called, "good bye" after her. Both Jo and Reg smiling. Jo gave a shrug, "well, let's go."

The boys laced their arms through Aly's and started walking down the dirt street. Aly, stumbling every few feet, slowed them down a bit.

Reg and Jo started supporting her weight a bit more, half carrying her down the street, her feet touching the ground every few steps or so.

"What's that then?" Jo asked pointing at the gold locket with her name engraved into it.

Aly looked down to notice that the locket had slipped out from behind the neckline of her dress. "Ahhhhh..." she said picking it up "ye'ss see, da got dis made af'er we moved ta Ow'ron. He got one for 'im, wiv hisss sname an' a pic of me an of ma, on each side. I gots s'one, with ma on one part an da on the other. One were made fo' ma too, wiv pa an me on da inssside." She fumbled with the locket, "'ere, I'llsss show ya."

Aly continued to fumble with the locket as Jo and Reg helped her walk and turn down different streets through town.

They reached the steps to Ms Freedman's front door. Simultaneously Jo and Reg looked at Aly then each other. They rolled their eyes, for she was still mucking around with the locket, and not taking note of her surroundings.

Supporting her weight a little more, they lifted her off the ground and carried her up the stairs.

Noticing she was a little more weightless, Aly drew her attention from the locket and looked around. "Can nI knock?"

"Sure," said Reg, but Aly had already turned her attention back to fumbling with the locket. Sighing he rolled his eyes, then reached for the door and knocked.

Just as the door was opening Aly got the locket open.

"Ha!" She exclaimed with success, she glanced at the locket then at the woman in the doorway, just as her vision started to blur. She couldn't see the woman properly but she could have sworn...

The boys stumbled as she passed out.

"Hello boys" said Ms Freedman smiling, "what have you got here then?"

"Hello Ms Freedman, our friend here needs a bed for the night. Would ye 'appen to have one spare?" Said Reg.

"Yes, come inside boys" She said, standing aside as the boys went in. "She looks like she's one of the gypsies." She grinned, "you been at it again Joseph?"

Reg grinned back, "for once no." Ms Freedman led them to one of her empty beds. "She is an old friend of ours; she hasn't been in town for years."

"Looks like she took the reunion further then you two." Ms Freedman said with a laugh. "All my beds are free at the moment, just lay 'er there."

"Yeah she may a had one too many drinks." Said Jo.

"Can I get you boys something ta drink?" Inquired Ms Freedman.

"Not for me, I've left the lasses waiting long enough." Jo said straightening his collar.

Ms Freedman laughed as Reg shook Jo's hand, "Yeah, sure. When you find any lass who was waiting for ye make sure you tell us, hey. Thanks for helpin' me get 'er 'ere."

"No problem, I'll see you all around." Said Jo, giving a wave before leaving.

"What about you Reginald?" Ms Freedman said looking at Reg.

He looked over at Aly, so peaceful in the bed. "I'll take a Tea. I, ah, I also need to talk to ye about ma."

As Ms Freedman wondered over to the fire she frowned, "I've tried everything, even things most healers would not consider." She put some water on the fire to boil. "I'm sorry... I can't think of anything else."

Reg attempted a smile, "that's alright; I know you've done more than most."

"If I think of anything I'll tell you... I'm sorry." Ms Freedman said sincerely. "Now why don't you tell me about your gypsy friend?" She suggested, attempting to change subject.

"Well, her name's," he said hesitating as he remembered Aly's wish to lay low. "Aly. We knew her years ago, didn' think we'd see 'er again."

"Aly's an unusual name, even for a gypsy." Said Ms Freedman.

"Well, she wasn't always a gypsy. She lived here years ago, we were all very surprised when we found out she was a gypsy. Her name is really Atlantia, still unusual but that's 'er name." Said Reg trying to explain how they knew each other.

Ms Freedman got a strange look in her eye, kind of a look of longing, when she heard the name Atlantia. "So she has the same name as that girl from the ghost stories then?" She said attempting a laugh.

"Well, actually, she is the girl from the ghost stories" admitted Reg. "See it was mostly made up."

Again that look of longing, but this time mixed with hope. Ms Freedman poured the teas with the now boiled water. She handed a tea to Reg.

Suddenly Aly started to toss and turn in the bed. Both Ms Freedman and Reg looked over worriedly.

"No" they heard Aly mumble, "No stop! Don't!" She got louder and louder with each word she spoke. Ms Freedman went over and sat on the bed beside Aly. "NO!" Screamed Aly, sitting up with fright.

Ms Freedman put her hand on Aly's arm, which was shaking just as much as the rest of Aly. Aly looked up, she looked at Ms Freedman's face and started shaking harder.

"Who are you?" Aly rasped out, her throat soar from screaming.

Reg came over with his tea and handed it to Aly. At the sight of Reg, a familiar face, her shaking subsided a little bit. "This is 'Helena Freedman'. She said you can spend the night here."

Ms Freedman had started shaking too. Tears were swelling up in her eyes. Once again Aly was looking at her, surprise and astonishment bright on her face.

"You- ye look like" Aly was pinning it down the woman in front of her looked like the painting of her ma in the locket.

"I thought I would never see you again!" Ms Freedman cried. "I came back and you were both gone, I dared not ask what happened to you both." Ms Freedman started crying.

Now Reg looked surprised, not entirely sure what was going on. Aly jumped out of the bed.

"You were alive all this time!" She screamed angrily. "You left us! How could you. You can't be my Mother. She's dead." Aly said contradicting herself.

"Oh Letti," Ms Freedman- or whoever she was- said, the tears falling heavier now. "I am alive. My names not 'Helena Freedman' it's 'Maria Pachonté'. I had no choice about leaving, Letti. Just let me explain!" Maria cried.

There was a knock on the door, the stunned Reg went and opened the door to a protective Seb. "I need to see her, I need to be sure she's ok." He said to Reg, Reg just moved aside to let him in.

"Sure, come in, I don't mind." Reg said, glad he wouldn't be the only one confused at this mess.

Just then Aly yelled, "My mother is dead to me. My old life is dead to me!"

Seb looked shocked and confused, even more so then Reg.

Aly yelled even more, "You aren't my mother! I don't have a mother!"

"What the hell is goin' on?" Whispered Seb to Reg. Reg just shrugged.

Ms Freedman- or Maria or whatever- was completely in tears now. Aly went to run out the door, but stopped near the table, she pulled something out of her pocket and put it on the table. "Pa would have wanted you to have it." She then darted out the door.

The shocked boys realised what was happening and ran onto the street after her. But she was gone.

They came back inside to a teary Ms Freedman –Maria- sitting on the bed. Reg went and sat next to her and put his arm on her shoulder.

But Seb said what both boys were thinking, "What was that about?"

Ms Freedman –Maria- was in no state to talk so Reg attempted a guess. "I think, that, well, Ms Freedman is Letti's long lost ma. But Letti don't want her past back so." He stopped not knowing what to say now, "I don't know."

At that moment two cats jumped onto the window sill. The black one jumped into Seb's arms. "Hey Cleo."

The other one, which was black and looked like it had white socks on, wondered over to Maria and sat on her lap. "Oh, Helen, what will I do about her, she hates me." The cat, obviously named Helen, looked up at her sadly. "Well at least your daughter accepts you." Maria said looking over at Cleopatra.

Seb started to catch on, "so, hang on, that cat's the ma of Cleo?" Maria nodded, "An' you're the ma of Aly?" Maria once again nodded. Seb whistled, "wow, this is strange."

Cleo jumped out of Seb's arms, and looked knowingly at Reg. Before jumping out the window and dashing down the street.

"An' things get stranger." Said Reg, looking out the window.

Maria gave a smile, "If only I could explain why I wasn't here all those years. I just need to know she has all the facts."

The boys looked at her sadly.

"AH!" Said Reg suddenly, surprising everyone. "I may know where she is. But maybe we should give her a bit of time first. An' think of a plan."

"I'll help." Said Seb, he and Reg looked at each other,

"Let's do that, can I get you a drink..." Maria went to ask, realising she didn't know his name.

"Sebastian- Seb if ye like, I'm one of her friends among the gypsies. An' yeah I'll have a tea." He said, Maria gave him a smile, so much like Aly's.

The boys sat down as Maria got Seb a cup of tea.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three - Forgiving Memories**

Aly ran, the dust of the street turning into small clouds as tears ran down her face. She hadn't dared cry in front of _that_ woman.

The nerve of it, coming back into her life after so many years, just thinking that Aly will make her part of her life again. She knew nothing about Aly, didn't know what she'd been through. Aly grew up without a mother, and could keep living that way.

Aly didn't know where she was going, didn't think about it, just let her feet carry her. She reached the end of the street and looked. She remembered where she was, even though she had not been down this street in eleven years. She walked over to an abandoned house as she breathed heavily, catching her breath.

She walked through the dusty hallway, her eyes running over all the debris of rotting wood and moth eaten sheets. She passed a doorway, with nothing but debris in the room.

She came to another doorway, half covered by a sheet, still moth eaten as she remembered. She used one hand to lift the sheet as she went under. She stopped at the doorway as she dropped the sheet behind her. She glanced over the room, the broken tables and chairs, the small window still with glass. She then looked under the widow, a small cleared spot with a candlestick, used so many times the wax had moulded it to the floor.

She gave a half smile of remembrance, and slowly stepped over the broken furniture to the little spot. She sat beside the candle with her back against the wall. She scratched at the candle wax, remembering the times she had burnt herself on a hot flame burning there.

Things had changed so much since then. She had moved to another town, made new friends, fallen... she shook her head. What did that matter, her father had died and she had started a new life.

She had worked on her new life, made a new name for herself. That name involved her being orphan, just as she thought she was. Until ten minutes ago, she sighed.

'Things happen so quickly,' she thought. 'What would...' she shook her head hard. 'No I can't think of him now, that's part of my old life. Just like my mother.'

The glazed look that had entered her eyes when she thought about her old life, left when she remembered the events of the night. Her eyes filled with anger, she had finally settled into her life, she had a new family. She rarely remembered the past, then her mother waltzes in and ruins the hard work.

Aly went stiff as she heard a quiet padding of footsteps up the abandoned hallway. She picked up a half rotted plank of would, if someone came in here she would... what would she do?

She stared at the curtain covering the door, the corner lifted higher than the little drafts would make it. Aly lifted the plank above her head, not thinking to stand up.

Cleo's head popped up under the curtain. "Row," she said questioningly cocking her head.

Aly smiled at her cat and sighed. "Ye startled me," she said putting down the plank of wood. Cleo padded over to Aly and looked up at her knowingly. Aly moved her legs and Cleo jumped onto her lap. "What do I do Cleo?" Aly asked seriously.

Cleo gave what looked like a shrug and nuzzled Aly's hand, Aly took the hint and held Cleo close for comfort. "Roww gerow meh hii" to most people it just sounded like cat noises, but to Aly she had said 'You'll figure it out'.

They had been together so long, and knew each other perfectly. "Maybe I can avoid her until the gypsies leave town." Aly said.

Cleo shook her head, and meowed 'She'll be looking for you now she knows what you look like'.

"I could leave town early and wait for the gypsies," Aly said thinking.

'What and not perform? You will feel bad if you don't.' Aly sighed at Cleo's meows.

"You're right." She said hopelessly tears welling up in her eyes.

'As much as we try we can't run forever' If she hadn't been making cat noises Cleo would have seemed like a very wise person, and at only sixteen years. But by cat years she was 112, so old, Aly wondered how long her old friend would be by her side.

Aly nodded, "I just need to think about it". Cleo nodded, and curled up on her lap. Aly absently stroked her as she stared out the window with a sigh. She let her mind wander, the tears fell freely down her face, she had not let herself cry in so long.

Aly woke to the sound of whispering outside the doorway, just behind the curtain. She was disorientated, where was she? It was so dark.

She looked at her lap, Cleo stared up at her. Suddenly Aly remembered what happened.

Then the whispering stopped and the curtain lifted, giving Aly no time to act on her revelation. Reg's head came inside the door before the rest of him. His eyes quickly passed over everything in the room and then he spotted Aly. He gave a smile and walked over to her. He knew she'd be in their old hideout, they had brought Lil and Jo here a couple of times but really it was just theirs.

He came and sat beside her just like they had all those years ago, making jokes and talking. Why had things changed so? This was where they would sit when Aly comforted Reg when he had problems at home, because of his lack of a father. Or when he had comforted Aly because of her lack of a mother.

They had so much in common, now her mum was back. They sat in silence for a bit, he went through his thoughts, trying to decide where to start. He had always dreamed of meeting his father. Aly had wanted to find her mother, but that was before her father died. Maybe she didn't dream of that anymore. That didn't change the fact that her mother wanted to be with her.

"She out there isn't she?" Aly said, breaking into his thoughts. He nodded, still not sure what to say. Aly sighed, she would have to make a decision now, she still didn't know what to do.

They sat in silence a little longer. Finally Reg spoke, "Wqb vaqbuo sljk akc z hazrhk." She looked at him with surprise, she had forgotten they had made a secret language. But as soon as she remembered she decoded it quickly to hear 'You should give her a chance'.

"Yaw aqbuo L?" She said, which meant 'why should I?'. "Vck vizwko qxi qm ew ulmk zuu ialv ilek... vbookjuw vck'v fzhp, zro vck kgtkhiv ek iq nbvi veluk zro mqcski vck yzvr'i akck." ('She stayed out of my life all this time... suddenly she's back, and expects me to just smile and forget she wasn't there'.) She looked at Reg, letting the anger in her eyes dig into him, while trying not to cry.

He looked at her, they may not have seen each other in five years but he still knew her well. He gave a half smile and put his arm around her shoulder. "Yakr yk ykck uliiuk yk fqia yzriko iq mlro qbc uqvi tzckriv." ('When we were young we both wanted to find our lost parents') Aly went to argue and he cut her off saying, "uqqp, vak ezw azjk z sqqo ckzvqr." He put up his hand to stop her from cutting in. "Nbvi sljk akc z hazrhk." ('look, she may have a good reason.' 'Just give her a chance'.)

Aly looked like she was about to argue, but then she sighed. "Fine," Reg smiled.

"I'll go get 'er" he said hopping to his feet and running out the door.

She heard mumbling outside, then the curtain lifted again and her mother walked in.

Maria looked like she was going to cry when she saw her long lost daughter. "I thought I would never see you again." She said to Aly. Aly stared up at her. Maria frowned, "I suppose you want an explanation." Aly nodded, Maria came and sat down next to her. Aly shuffled over. "Well, it's a long story..." she started.

"It's been a long childhood," Aly said, "a long motherless one."

Maria hid the hurt look in her eye quickly, "well how much do you already know about the day I went missing?"

Aly shrugged, "just that ye went out to do the laundry. Ye took off this and left it home." She pointed at the hair clip at her belt. "An' that they found the washing spread out by the stream where ye would wash our clothes. They thought maybe ye had been kidnapped, but looks like ye weren't."

"I was. They had me for years..." Maria's eyes took on a glassy, far away look. "I kept to the hope that you and your father were alive... I had these to remind me of you both." She pulled out a small sock that would have barely fit on Aly's hand now, in fact it wouldn't have, and a red kerchief that must have belonged to her father, it even had a 'F' embroidered in it. "I finally escaped, I came back here in hope that your father and you were still here. But all that was left was the house and a ghost story... I chose the name 'Helen Freedman' for ironies sake 'hell am a freed man'." She gave a little chuckle. "I understand that you had a rough childhood because I wasn't here, I am truly sorry. I wish I could have seen you grow up to be the beautiful young woman that you are now."

Maria looked at Aly as she processed the information she had wished and waited for her whole life. Aly sucked her teeth as she thought. "I need time to think," she said finally. Maria nodded as she wiped her eyes with the red kerchief. Aly got up to leave.

A thought occurred to Maria, she grabbed Aly's skirt quickly. Aly looked down at her mother. "What happened to your father?" She asked hopefully.

Aly's eyes filled with tears, "He's dead..." She said slowly, trying to pick better words. "The house burned down, three years ago. He went with it... I have been making a new life since."

Maria's hand slipped off Aly's skirt as the news hit her. A tear fell down Aly's cheek before Aly turned and left. She could hear Maria sob as she went through the doorway, Reg tried to stop her, but he let her go when he saw her tears. Aly walked out of the abandoned house.

"Aly!" Seb said as Aly walked out the front door.

She looked at him her eyes filled with tears, "I'll be back in the morning... I just need to think."

This time Seb didn't argue, he nodded and gave her a hug before watching her go.

Reg came outside, arms around the teary Mrs Pachonté, and stood beside Seb.

The three of them watched Aly leave. "Ah... well... I'll 'ead back ta camp." Said Seb rubbing the back of his head. "If she don't turn up tomorrow I'll come by 'er house." He said nodding at Maria.

Reg nodded, and shook Seb's hand. "I'll stay there too." Seb nodded and headed in the direction of camp. Disappearing into the forest. Reg turned down the street, the way Aly had gone, supporting Maria. "Don't worry, she's in town for another week."

Maria nodded, "I can't believe my Husband is dead..." She said tears falling down her face. "Letti is all I have left... I hope she forgives me."

"Fabrizio will be thoroughly missed," he said solemnly. "Come'n let's get ya home. She can look af'er herself." Maria nodded and let Reg lead her home.

Aly sat beside the fire she had just made. Quickly dwelling on how much she had learnt since she had last been in Gruber. How to build a fire for one, and how to fend for herself for another. But now her mother was back, was she just supposed to put all of it behind her. 'Ma will probably want me to stop travelling.' Travelling had grown on her, she didn't want to stop now. Plus it would be too upsetting to stay here, or Owlron and she was a wanted criminal in Whenherp.

She sighed, she did feel better knowing the truth though. But the fact that she had been a prisoner all those years, it was a rather confusing fact. Why would someone want to keep a prisoner and why kidnap someone at random. She sighed, a little confused, and rubbed her temple. She forgot she had drank so much, 'may as well get a little more sleep.'

Aly rolled over, covering herself with her cape. As she drifted to sleep she decided on forgiving her mother. What a night it had been, she needed a good sleep.

Aly woke a little dazed, the morning was grey with the light of dawn. She could already hear the sounds of the town starting its daily routine. Aly stretched a little then was hit by a throbbing in her head.

"Forgot about that," she said putting a hand to her head. She stood up and shook out her dress then pulled a little vile out of her dress pocket. She looked at it angrily, 'well if Im going to get drunk I need to drink it.' She told herself angrily. She unstopped it and stared at the greenish mixture inside. She closed her eyes and quickly downed the shot, it was no more than a teaspoon full. But yet it still tasted so gross, she gagged at the flavour then put the empty vile back in her pouch. She kicked the evidence of her small camp out and headed back to town.

It was easy enough, the gypsies had already started their entertaining antics and tom foolery. As she headed to town she remembered her promise to Seb.

"Eagh..." she growled, frustrated. She spun on her heel and found her way back to the gypsy camp.

As she walked into camp a few of the gypsies gave her disgusted looks. Others waved to her or gave a smile as she passed, she returned the gestures. As her head had now cleared up she had a smile on her face, though her mother's news last night was just as confusing.

She passed George, who tossed two apples at her, she caught both. "He's still in bed," George told her.

"Lazy as always." Aly said back, grinning. This made George laugh, she bit into one of the apples and walked to the caravan she was meant to sleep in the night before. She walked up the three wooden stairs and leaned on the doorframe eating her apple and looking at Seb in the top bunk.

He had one arm hanging out of the bunk, his blanket had stopped covering his foot and his mouth was half open. He let out a loud snore and she rolled her eyes before taking another bite of her apple.

She had the last few bites of her apple and through the core out the door, where no one would walk. She stepped beside the bunk and flipped the blanket off Seb before stepping back.

Seb groaned and rolled over, hitting the floor with a loud bang. Aly put the blanket on the bunk and looked down at him with an evil grin.

He looked up at her and groaned. "Why do ya do that?" He said with a moan.

"Why didn' ye tell the others I was with ol' friends?" She inquired evilly.

"Ah... shite," He said letting his head fall, hitting it on the floor accidentally. "I forgot," he admitted, rubbing his head.

"I know ya did." She said, amused. She offered a hand, which he took, and helped him to his feet. She tossed him the second apple, he caught it, threw it up behind his back and caught it before putting it in his mouth.

Aly rolled her eyes and went to her lock up chest, she put the empty vile inside and put a new one in her pouch.

"Ya mean to get drunk again ta'nigh'?" Seb asked raising a brow as he put on his boots.

"Nah, bu' it's good ta 'ave just in case." She said with a shrug. She locked the chest and put the key back in her pouch. She followed Seb out of the caravan and got in step with him.

"So did you make a decision?" He inquired.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm gonna forgive 'er. But I think I'll keep travelling, even if she wants me to stay."

Seb nodded, "Ye are always welcome among us. But only a'cause you earn so much." He said jokingly, she elbowed him the stomach softly as he put his arm around the shoulders.

He flinched and laughed as she smiled. "Scut," she muttered.

As they walked through camp, and eating on Seb's part, Connia stepped onto their path. "Where might ye 'ave been all night?" She asked Aly.

Aly and Seb stopped, Aly gave a showmen's bow, twirling her arms extravagantly. "Well Seb 'ere forgot to mention last night that I were spendin' time with some ol' mates o' mine." She said to the leader of their Gypsy clan.

"Really?" Connia said raising her eyebrows, unable to hide her surprise. "I did no' know ye knew people 'ere."

"Aye, was a little secret o' mine." By now most the camp were listening to this discussion. Aly continued despite this, either way they would have all found out, gossip travels quickly among those who travel in groups. "See this be where I grew up for the larger part o' my life."

The whispers started, not very many, but they did. Then Seb cut in, "I was meant ta tell ya's but it slipped my mind in last night's events."

"An' what big events happened last night?" Connia asked.

"He met my friends is all." She said quickly, Seb nodded. Connia accepted this excuse.

"Well I s'pose ye will be spending more time out a camp then." Connia stated.

"Yeah maybe." She said, as Connia walked away. The gypsies turned back to what they had been doing and Aly poked Seb in the side. "I don't want 'em knowin' i 'ave family 'ere."

Seb rubbed the spot she had poked, "Why not?"

"A'cause it's easier that way, less questions." She said.

"So what _really_ happened last night?" George said behind them, making them jump. Aly looked up at him and sighed. "I know Seb went to visit ye at the healers where ye were staying."

"Was gonna stay," she said putting a hand up. "Seb came just in time to see me run out of the house." Seb nodded as George look puzzled. Aly sighed, "ye want the whole story don't ye?" Both of them nodded, she sighed, they had saved her life, it was the least that she owed. "Come on," she said leading them away from camp.

They walked into the forest a bit, far enough that no one would be around. They wandered into a clearing that Aly vaguely remembered. She sat on a rock as George and Seb sat on a log in front of her.

"Well, when I were two my ma disappeared. After some years it was assumed that she was dead. I grew up without 'er." Aly said.

"Wow, ye never had a mother?" Seb asked, Aly just shook her head.

"What 'appened to ya pa?" George asked.

"He died," she said simply. They both looked at her expectantly, they knew that part already. She sighed, "three years ago, a few months a'fore you found me, our house burnt down. He was in it, I only escapes a'cause I had gone out ta see someone without 'im knowing." She shrugged, "so I told ye the truth, he's dead."

Seb and George nodded. "It's amazing your ma's alive," said Seb, George nodded again.

"I would always make stories where she was back with me, or of 'er still bein' alive, and trying ta get back to me an pa. That stopped when pa died, and I started looking to a different life. More so when you two came along," she said looking at them.

George got up and lifted her to her feet for a hug. "So you were yellin' at 'er a'cause you want a new life?"

"A'cause I made a new life," she said. "An' a'cause after all those years of not bein' there when I needed 'er, then showin' up when I no longer needed her aron'. I 'ad finally settled into bein' a different person." She shrugged, "but I spent the night thinkin' an' I'm gonna say sorry, but if she wants me ta stick around, I'm gonna say no."

George looked down at her, "ye sure 'bout that?" Aly nodded "Al'right then." Seb stood up and the three of them headed back to camp.

"Ye look like a mess," Seb said to Aly.

Aly looked down, her skirt was rumpled and there was dirt stains near the hem. "Well that's what 'appens when ye sleep on the ground." She said with a shrug, before picking a spider web off her shoulder. "An' walk through an abandoned 'ouse. I'll get changed before we leave camp."

Seb nodded, and then looked confused; much like George did at her statement. "Wait... we're leaving camp. Where are we goin'?"

Aly shook her head. "I 'ave to see my ma. It'd be worse ta hold off, don't ya think?"

"Oh..." said Seb stupidly, "yeah that's a good idea." Aly rolled her eyes as they walked into camp.

George and Seb went and fiddled with the gear for their performance while Aly walked to the caravan and closed the door.

Inside the caravan she closed the door and leaned against it. She in the scent of her home, the familiarity of the smells made her smile. Everything would be fine as long as she knew where her home was, and for now her home was this caravan, these people were her friends and family, even if they did fight.

Nothing could change that truth now, and she would do just about anything to keep it that way. She turned the little knob that kept the door locked when they needed it and moved away from the door. She opened the draw that held her clothes and shuffled through it with her hand.

She looked at the colours; she wanted today to be a bright day. She pulled out her red dress with bells sewed into the skirt. She smiled and nodded approvingly.

She took off her green dress and her brown cape and put them in the sack of dirty clothes belonging to the other gypsies from the caravan. It would be her turn to do the laundry soon. She put the red dress on over her short underclothes. She was lucky that it was short or she wouldn't have been able to run the night before. She pulled out a creamy gold bodice that went with the deep brown of her dress.

She looked in the small mirror the gypsies of this caravan shared and smiled, deciding she was ready. She picked up her belt she had discarded on the lower bunk, that Seb and her mainly shared, and put it around her waist, letting it sit on her hips after she buckled it.

She looked at the bunks her and Seb shared, the top and bottom ones to the left side of the caravan when you walked in, and decided that the bed needed straightening.

She quickly flicked out the sheets and fluffed the pillows, wondering who had slept in the bottom bunk that night. She ran a hand over the creases in the blankets quickly before unlocking the door and going outside to the sound of bells moving on her skirt.

She only wore this skirt on special occasions, like when one of the gypsies had a birthday. She always thought it was because of the quality of the skirt, having a tendency to forget how annoying the bells can be after a few hours. She sighed, 'too late now,' she thought and went down the little steps. Leaving the caravan door open as was the custom for some reason.

She walked over to George and Seb. Seb had started to make sure his violin was tuned, while George checked the rope to be sure it wasn't fraying. Aly sat down and started to check some of the other gear. They sat in silence for a bit, going about their chores.

Finally Seb broke the silence; "Ye look nice, she'll be happy ye did that for 'er."

Aly smiled at him hopefully, "Ya think so?" He and George nodded.

They did the rest of the chores in silence, which went for about five minutes then left camp. Well tried to.

"Aly, ye be dressed nice, what's the occasion?" Said Connia. The three stoped.

"I'm gonna see one a me ol' friends that I didn't get a chance to talk to last night." Aly said, thinking quick.

Connia smiled, "Well have fun!" she said, not thinking it was anymore than that. Aly was a mysterious girl, but she seemed to be opening up. Maybe this would be enough to stop those awful drinking habits. Connia use to think little of the girl being among the gypsies, thinking that the girl would leave them soon enough, she was an outsider. But she seemed to be a natural born gypsy, one at heart really.

She watched the three walk away, the girl was still a mystery. Turned up in one town and got nothing from her but that she was an orphan, now they find out she grew up here. Maybe, after everyone had started accepting her as one of their own, she would leave them. She sighed and went back to making sure the camp was in order.

Aly, Seb and George walked in silence. "Which way is it?" George said when they got to the gates.

"It's... uh... in a... that away direction." Aly said waving her hand across their entire view. They looked at her with raised brows, she just shrugged. "I was drunk when they took me there, and crying when I left, you really think I remember?"

Seb sighed, "This way," he said walking down one of the three streets.

"See it was in a that away, general direction I pointed." Aly said proudly, with a mock to her voice. George chuckled and Seb shook his head, making Aly grin.

They walked down one street then another, Aly trying to take a few wrong turns by accident. Finally they got to the house and walked up the steps. Then Aly began to get nervous.

Seb wrapped an arm around her shoulders for support and she smiled weakly at him. Groege gave her a kiss on the forehead, for luck, and knocked on the door. Seb let his arm drop, didn't want her mum getting any wrong idea's about their relationship.

Reg opened the door. When he saw Aly his worried look dropped and he smiled, he took her in his arms. "I thought ye wouldn't come by," he said.

"I may run away from some thin's, but not always." She said pushing his shoulder playfully. He opened the door and nodded at Seb and George. They nodded back, and Seb took Reg's hand. Aly walked in first, as Reg held the door open. Then came Seb and then came George.

Maria looked up from her mortar and pestle. Her eyes widened when she looked at her three guests. "Letti!" She cried releasing her work. She crossed the room, "I didn't think you would come by!"

Aly opened up to her mother for a hug. "I've decided, an' I understand that it weren't ye fault. Though the situation is confusin' it weren't like ye could 'ave just come back. I overreacted."

Maria tightened the hug, not wanting to let go of her daughter. "You didn't, I was just so excited, I should have told you a little more gradually." She looked at her daughter, still holding Aly's arms. Maria put a bit of hair behind Aly's ear. "Now we can settle down and be a family again. We can get the old house back an-" She cut off as Aly shook her head, and looked shocked.

Aly decided to explain herself, "I've been on the road for three years ma. It's grown on me, it's a life 'at suits me, I can't just give it up." She shrugged, "asides, I'm reminded too much of pa 'ere. It'd be too saddening."

"But, but don't you want to be a family again? ... well best we can without ye pa?" She stared hard at Aly.

Aly nodded, "but I've changed ma, I would love to be part of a family. But i kinda already found one." She glanced over her shoulder at Seb and George. "The gypsies took me in, an' 'ats where I'm gonna stay. I promise when I come through town I'll spend time with ya's," she said looking between her mum and Reg. "But the road's where I belong now."

Maria didn't seem to accept it, but she kept her mouth shut. "Well then let's spend the time we can together." Aly nodded and came and sat at the small dining table.

The table could sit six at most two on each side and one on each end. They fit well, and they'd be fine if someone turned up. "Oh, I forgot ta introduce ye all to each other. Ma this is Seb-Sebastian," She said putting a hand on Seb's shoulder, having sat between Seb and Reg.

While Reg sat next to Maria, on one end of the table. George sat on the other end of the table, across from Reg.

Maria nodded, "Yes, I met him last night."

"Oh, yeah, that's right." She said, "well anyhow, this be George."

"So how do you all know each other?" Maria asked. "You know when you were little, I use to think that one day maybe Reginald's mother and I could have seen if you would be a good match."

Aly and Reg burst out laughing. Aly's body shook with the intensity of her laughing. While Reg almost fell out of his chair. They ended up leaning on each other whipping their eyes as they tried to catch their breath.

George shook his head as he looked at Aly with a smile. Seb looked a tad shocked, "you both laugh the same!" He exclaimed in fear.

This made Aly laugh a little more, "'stead we ended up best friends, an' Seb it's cause we know each other so well."

Maria smiled, "So what happened to your father? How did you end up with the gypsies?" Aly's happiness dropped by a mile.

The smile she had been wearing gladly, and the best one she'd had since she got to Gruber, turned into a frown.

Seb put his arms around her shoulders and looked at her worriedly. "Ye two haven't heard the story either." She said looking between Seb and George. She sighed, "Reg, do ye mind hearin' the story again?" He shook his head, a small lock of blond hair falling in his eyes.

Aly was getting use to telling the story, she began as Seb brushed his hand through his hair. "Well after ye disappeared, when I were two." She said for Seb and George's information. "Pa kept a smile on, made sure to raise me proper." She lifted a hand when her mother went to interrupt, guessing what she was going to ask. "I'll get ta that," she said before continuing. "The women around town helped with a few things, but I preferred to try alone. I taught me self to sew, had only a little 'elp at learnin' ta cook. The rest I picked up watching people. I became best friends with Reg, we had a bit o' a friendship with Lilla and Joseph."

Seb drew breath to interrupt and Aly gave him a sharp look. He thought better of it and let her continue. "Reg an' I were inseparable. An' Cleo was always in tow. When I were eleven pa and I moved. We moved to Owlron, had a nice big 'ouse, two stories." She said nodding as Seb whistled in awe. "We lived there for two years, pa had given me these lockets, 'e 'ad one of his own. For memories sake 'e said, he got your one mad cause he an' I always dreamed you were still alive.

Anyway, one night I went out without tellin' 'im, I came back just afore dawn. And all I found was ashes an' debris. I found your locket and some pans and things, nothing of use. An' no pa..." She paused for a bit, thinking and trying not to let herself cry. "I made a headstone, outa some wood that was left, an' carved his name into it. Then after the sun rose... I left, I couldn't go back ta town, I dunno why... I hitched rides and walked till I reached Whenherp. That's where I tried my hand at bein' a thief.

I wasn't a bad thief, I just 'ad a tendency ta give my food to the orphans. I lasted two months there, that's where these two came in.

They found me on the edge of town, half starved and unconscious." Seb and George nodded. "They took me to the gypsies, and out of kindness the gypsies gave me food and new clothes, by the time I was strong enough to walk on my own we were over a week from Whenherp. So when they said I could keep travelling with them I took the offer. Seb kept an eye out for me, teaching me how to act like a gypsy. George would watch out for me too, he also gave me my first turn rope walkin'. Between the two of them, I learnt almost every aspect of bein' a gypsy within a month. An' all the gypsies _loved_ Cleo. I became known as Aly, and Cleo, Cleo.

I decided to put my past behind, and forget my old dreams. Like ye being alive. But now your 'ere and I have to accept that my past is part of me, I can't leave it behind, no matter how much I hide it.

I got sick of just dancing among a group of gypsies, I wanted to pay them back fully for saving me. That's when I found out I had a gift for the ropes. George took me as his apprentice and I started doing shows with him. After a while they found out I was popular, so I started doing shows on me own, with Cleo when she feels like it. Seb started being my partner in show, he does my music." She explained to her mother, "an' that's about how it all happened." She said with a shrug.

"So you walk on the ropes?" Said Maria rhetorically.

"Yeah..." Said Aly hesitantly.

"Which are you?" Maria asked this time.

"Wind Whisper" Said Seb.

"WHAT!" Maria cried. "Are you aware of how dangerous rope walking is? Let alone the tricks you do?"

"Yeah I do ma, and it's a little less dangerous then doing those tricks while running from the law when ye are a thief." Aly said getting aggravated. "Besides the only time I fall is in practice when Im learning new tricks, and even then it is but a meter fall and Seb or George catch me. So lay off it ma!"

"She's very good at it, better 'en most, and she 'as only been 'urt in practice a few times." Said George, trying to give Aly time to collect herself.

Maria looked sharply at George, not something you would usually do to someone you had just met, and bit her lip to hold back a retort. "I'm sorry, its just after all these years of not being able to see you I don't want to have you get hurt. I suppose Im being over protective."

Aly sighed, why did she get so angry so quick? Well it did feel like her mother had been questioning her ability. "No, ye have every right ta be worried. Once ye get use to it ye wont worry as much."

Maria nodded slowly and stood up. "Anyone want some tea?" She said moving to boil some water.

"Sure," said Aly, Seb and Reg as one.

George chuckled and nodded his head.

The water was boiled and the tea was poured, then the chatter started. Talking about past experiences with one another. Most of this was done by Aly, Seb and Reg. Maria hardly ever put in a word, and anything George said made everyone aware of how proud he was of Aly.

They talked long into the day, when lunch came around George and Reg slipped down to the shops and came back with food and two more for the get together.

Lil and Joseph settled in quick. But getting either Lil or Seb to say much in each other was a challenge that Aly loved, and laughed over.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four – Time on the Town**

Finally, some time to herself. She had been in the house all day, so much talking, and laughing. Apparently her mother had loved her father's stories as well. By the end of the night they had been trying to recall the names of some of his stories.

Now it was dark, and the music had started for dancing. The gypsies made a good party. The townsfolk danced, and others watched. The few children that were aloud out at this time mixed between peoples legs.

Aly took one step back quickly as one child ran in front of her. Another close on its tail. She smiled at the memories that they had reminisced about earlier that day, those memories would have hurt her a day ago. But now, she just couldn't stop thinking about the way she use to be, those children didn't know what they had.

She shook her head, smiling wistfully, and brushed her hair out of her face. It was becoming a hot night, good thing she hadn't brought her cape, though she hadn't brought it so it would not hinder her while she danced.

She danced every now and again, usually she was exploring the town, but she grew up here, not much to explore that she hadn't seen before.

She moved to the edge of the crowd, deciding on watching for a bit. She went over to one of the food stalls, smiling at the vendor as she bought a sweet pastry with cream.

He hadn't stopped watching her since she came into view. She had the most dazzling smile, enough to make any man fall head over heels. She had beautiful hair too, the dark brown locks softly waving down her back, gently ending about midway down.

That dress suited her nicely too, moved with her curves, not trying to make curves where there were none, like was fashion with wealthier people these days. It was a dark red with a creamy gold bodice and embroidery. He could vaguely hear the sound of the bells on her skirt.

She wasn't from around town, that much he could tell. But unlike most travellers she seemed at ease in her surroundings, almost uninterested in the town. Highly unusual, it was the capital after all.

Most people's eyes would dash from side to side trying to take in every view. She most definitely wasn't from Gruber, and she didn't look like a normal traveller, more like a gypsy.

She smiled as a gypsy danced past her, the gypsy girl did a twirl in front of the girl in red and smiled back. The two exchanged words and the dancing gypsy gave a wave and danced to the other side of the crowd disappearing from view.

His eyes dashed back to the girl in red. She leaned against a wall finishing off her pastry. Her eyes shined in the firelight, he was entranced as he watched her. When the last of her pastry disappeared she licked her fingers, and her tongue flicked across her lips, before she used the napkin from the pastry to wipe her hands.

He smiled thinking to himself, 'a lass that don't like to waste.' He kept watching her, she looked amazing in the firelight. He began to think what she did among the gypsies, how she passed through her daily life.

"Ambrose… Ambrose!" Someone hit him across the head, "hey o' mighty _'prince o thieves'._" The culprit said mockingly, "don't ye answer ta ye own name anymore?"

Ambrose turned to the man beside him, "I do I were just…" He stopped and thought about his sentence, "distracted."

"Oh really?" the man asked slyly, "an what might yer distraction be?"

"Don' worry bout it Kale. It were nothing." Said Ambrose beginning to blush lightly, barely viewable in the firelight. "Anyway, what ye doing here? I thought ye were headed home to yer misses."

"I am, but I run in ta Sal. She said that tamorra mornin' ye need ta go to the 'New Beginnings'." Kale explained to Ambrose, "some news abou' the king."

Ambrose stopped looking for the girl for a moment, "what sorta news?"

"The type she couldn't hint a' in public." Kale said seriously.

Ambrose nodded and Kale turned to leave. "Will I see ya in the morn?"

"Ya. If i can get away from May." He said with a laugh. "See ya then." He disappeared into the crowd and headed home.

Ambrose began looking for the girl again. He spotted her, not far from the wall she had been leaning against. She was swaying to the music, looking as though she was itching to dance. 'This is your chance Ambrose,' he stayed where he was, what had gotten into him? Never before had a woman mesmerised him like this. He shook his head and walked over to her.

He walked over and stood by her side silently for the rest of the song. The next song began; she began to clap to the fast rhythm. He joined in soon after, much like many people were doing.

"Mould ya like to dance madam?" Ambrose asked her nicely.

She looked at him with surprise which quickly changed to a polite smile. "Alri'," she said taking his offered hand.

They joined in the quick paced dance hand in hand, it was a common dance that most knew. A few paces left a few paces right, a quick paced weave-walk back and clap. Then weave walk forward and clap.

Then he spun her and they did it again. Her smile illuminated her face and he held her hands as they danced.

She had no idea who this man was, with his devilishly handsome smile, and daring dark green eyes. They made her heart beat hard with wonder. His dark brown hair fell across his face as they danced, oh how she longed to brush it back for him. He spun her and brushed his hair behind his ear.

It almost reached his shoulders, it waved slightly. She could see a small scar on his collarbone, mostly hidden by his shirt.

Some people changed partners at the spin, but for they were content dancing with each other.

Aly wondered if he was someone she knew from when she lived here, she doubted it. People came and went in this town. It was the capital after all. She didn't recognise him at all, but what did it matter. He was such a good dancer, very light on his feet.

"Letti!" She heard Reg calling through the crowd. She had wondered how long her time alone would last. "Letti!" the call came again, she spotted him on the edge of the crowd.

She winked at the man just before he spun her.

He had no idea what the wink was about, he spun her and she changed partners and he found another girl dancing with him. He caught her eyes as she looked over the shoulder of her new partner. She gave a cheeky smile that made him want to laugh. The spin, a new partner for both of them. What was she up to? Maybe she was just trying to tease him.

This time though she smiled at her partner with more then politeness. He said something that made her laugh. Oh how Ambrose wanted to hear that laugh, she probably sounded like an angel. He had only heard her speak one word, he wished he could hear more, have a talk with her.

Her new partner spun her and she stayed with him. Ambrose decided to get closer to her, so maybe he could dance with her again.

He came closer to them and she spotted him. She gave a smile in his direction, more then the polite one she was giving him earlier. This smile was filled with humour, she knew what he was doing.

"What you smiling about Lett?" Said her partner.

Aly turned her attention back to Reg. "Ye should call me Aly, remember?" She said poking Reg in the stomach. "An' just the man that were dancing with me before ye found me"  
Oh what a voice she had. To Ambrose it was like music, so sweet and beautiful. The spin again, this time she came into his arms.

She gave a giggle and smiled again, Ambrose's heart skipped a beat. Her hands were so soft apart from a few calluses, which were normal for commoners or people of the road. He wanted to hold her hands for the rest of the night.

Her partner shook his head and went to the side. Her partner seemed familiar to Ambrose, where had he seen that face before?

Ambrose spun the girl, she had said she wanted to be called Aly. She stayed dancing with him, Ambrose smiled at her and was rewarded with one of her smiles.

Aly loved his smile, too bad the dance would end soon. She could tell that he was strong, his hands were very callused, but they had more then just common calluses. He had the calluses of someone that was use to holding a weapon, especially a dagger or a sword.

He spun her and the music began to fade, she gave him a dazzling smile and a performers curtsey. Ambrose gave her a regular bow, deciding on his earlier guess that she is a gypsy. He offered her his hand, which she took, and led her to the side.

"Your a good dancer," she said to Ambrose.

Once he got over the surprise of her talking to him he replied, "thank ye. So are you, would I be guessin' right if I said ye are a gypsy?"

She giggled quietly, "aye, ye would." She began to whisper, "an' would I be guessin' right if I said ye are a thief." This stunned him, which made her giggle again. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna tell anyone." She smiled sincerely at him and he immediately believed her. "Ye are bein' very impolite." She stated abruptly.

"Huh?" Ambrose uttered with surprise.

She smiled teasingly, "well ye haven't told me yer name, nor 'ave ye asked for mine." She sighed and shook her head, a twinkle of amusement showing in her eye. "What has the world come to?" She said sounding horrified.

This made Ambrose laugh, she was quite different from girls around here, even quite different for a gypsy. "How stupid of me, ta forget my manners." He shook his head before bowing to her again, a smile still on his face. "I'm Ambrose. And may I ask," he said taking her hand, "what name an Angel like ye may have?" He planted a kiss on her hand as she blushed.

"I go by many names," she said trying to hide her blush with her free hand. "But most call me Aly." She said with a flattered smile.

"Well Aly, would I be lucky enough to have another dance?" Ambrose said giving her a handsome smile and still holding her hand.

"But o' co-" Aly stopped her answer and looked down.

Ambrose followed her gaze and saw a black cat pulling at her skirt.

It began making sounds which, to Ambrose's surprise, Aly listened to intently. "Seeew hisss mewinnn hissssrewd."

The cat stopped and Aly looked back at Ambrose. The polite smile was back but her eyes were filled with worry. "Im sorry but I have something I must do."

"Well may I have the dance another time?" Ambrose asked her as she backed away from him slowly.

She shrugged with an apologetic smile. Then looked at the cat, who dashed off past the crowd of dancers. Aly turned and ran after it.

Ambrose looked around for her other partner, he was busy with some food he must have just bought. He looked up, presumably looking for Aly and spotted her dress as she ran round a corner after the cat.

His eyes widened as Ambrose watched him, and he dashed of after her calling "Leeetttttiiiiiii" as he ran.

Ambrose sighed and wondered what had made her leave so quickly. He looked around, it wasn't as interesting now that she was gone. He walked into a dark side ally, the one the rope walkers went to to get to the roof earlier that day and the night before.

He looked to see if anyone saw him then quickly climbed up the ladder, still sitting there for the gypsies use, and got to the roof.

He ran along the roof in the direction Aly, the cat and the boy had gone. Ambrose wondered why the boy seemed so familiar. Then it hit him, he was a friend of one of the waitress's friends at the New Beginnings. What was his name again?

"Reginald" Ambrose muttered to himself as he spotted Aly running down a street, Reginald not far behind.

"Letti, where are you going!" Reginald cried as he followed her.

"Seb went and got 'imself in trouble!" She cried back, still running after the cat.

Ambrose wondered how Reginald knew this beautiful gypsy girl as he followed them quietly along the roof tops.

"Seb do this often?" Reginald asked her, almost out of breath.

Aly sighed before saying, "aye."

The cat stopped abruptly.

"Where-" Aly put a hand over Reginald's mouth and looked at the cat. The cat cocked its head in the direction of an ally further down the street.

Aly nodded at the cat and turned her attention to Reginald. Ambrose just watched in fascination. Aly took her hand from Reginald's mouth, and when he said nothing she pointed at him then down.

Ambrose could tell what she was trying to tell Reginald to do: Stay. Ambrose knitted his brow, what was she up to?

Reginald did what Aly did, to her surprise and relief, maybe he wasn't as thick as she thought. Cleo ran to the other side of the ally, no one ever noticed a little black cat running past. Most the time not even Seb noticed.

Aly spotted a nice big rock at the side of the street. She wondered over and crouched as she picked it up. She looked at her skirts and sighed, 'why does Seb have to do this when Im wearing good clothes?' She thought to herself.

Still crouching, Aly sidled up to the ally and waited, listening intently.

She could hear a struggle, then a thump and the sound of someone being winded. She could picture it in her mind, someone just knocked Seb against a wall, and by the sound of it was holding him there. What did Seb do this time?

"So give us back our money ye cheating mongrel cur!" Said a deep voiced man.

"Dice is an art, and mine are not weighted!" Seb cried breathlessly, it sounded like he was struggling against whoever was holding him against the wall.

Ambrose looked down into the ally, he believed that Aly was going to try and help her friend. She must be mad, all she has for a weapon is a rock the size of her fist, and she doesn't even know how many she's going up against.

Ambrose looked, there were four men there, one would be her friend. Ambrose assumed it was the one being held off the ground, against the wall closer to Aly.

The one holding her friend was larger then Ambrose himself, let alone Aly and her friend. Aly's friend struggled against the large man. The other two, smaller ones not as strong as Ambrose but probably stronger then Aly, both held knives. They had sneers of contempt on their faces. Obviously Aly's friend had upset these three, some dice game, suspicion of cheating, by the sounds of it.

Ambrose took a quick look of the layout of the ground, looking at advantage spots, disadvantage spots. A quick way to reach the ground. He found his way to descend, now he just had to wait for the opportune moment.

Ambrose looked down, watching and waiting. Aly's friend kicked out with his leg suddenly. He hit the large man square in the stomach, making him double over and drop him.

One of the smaller men grabbed Aly's friend quickly.

Aly heard someone gasp for air, and someone hit the ground. She heard quick movements, when suddenly Seb was thrown out of the ally, onto the ground just past her. Two men holding knives past her and stood over Seb.

Seb tried to push himself up with his elbows and saw the men advancing on him. He tried to push himself away from them and one of them put their foot on his chest roughly, making Seb loose air.

Aly didn't make her move yet, they hadn't seen her, but she could hear movement in the ally. A bigger man came past, about the size of George, he was holding his stomach lightly.

A scenario of what happened moments before flashed through Aly's mind. No time to think of that right now. She hurled the rock at the large man's head, it hit him hard, making a cut on the back of his head.

The large man turned to face her as the other two looked over their shoulder at her. The big man sneered when he saw who was challenging him. "Run 'ome lass, this has naught to do with ye." He said mockingly.

"I beg ta differ," Aly said not letting her anger show at his mocking tone, "see, that there is my mate, an' I can't go 'ome without him."

The big man laughed and started to move towards her. "Well we have some business to attend to with 'im so ye better scurry afore we 'ave to 'urt that pretty face o' yours." He said reaching a hand out to stroke her cheek.

"Well I think your business is done." Aly said before grabbing his wrist and twisting it it, using her other hand to push his elbow in the wrong direction. At that moment an evil growl resounded down the street, a very awful sound, as Cleo jumped into the face of the man holding Seb down with his foot. Cleo hooked her claws into the mans scalp making him scream as he tried to pry the cat from his face.

As the big man used his free hand to try and grab Aly by her dress Aly ducked and slid one of her feet under him. Seb grabbed the smaller man, with Cleo attached to him, by the legs to knock him to the ground. Aly glanced at the man that was being forgotten to see that someone had their arm around his neck from behind.

The big man fell from having his feet swept from under him by Aly. She puled the arm she had up behind his back as she sat down on his back. She pushed his arm against his back, twisting it in a direction it would not naturally go. The man moaned in agony as Aly used her weight and his own on his arm.

Seb took the knife from the man he had tackled to the ground and sat on his chest, winding him. Seb pointed the knife at the mans throat and the man looked at him in fear.

Aly looked over to see what had happened of the third man and their unknown helper. The unknown helper sat on the third mans back pressing a knife to his throat and holding his head up by his dirty blond hair. Aly watched the unknown helper, she couldn't see his face because his hair had fallen in the way.

His hair was brown and almost shoulder length. That style was so popular among the commoners. The man looked up to, presumably, see what had become of Aly and Seb.

Aly raised her brow at him, he just gave her a dashing smile. Aly turned her attention back to the big man, who seemed to be the leader, pretending not to care that Ambrose was there. "Now, what do ye think. Business done for the day?" She asked, when he didn't respond she pushed on his arm.

"Aye!" He cried in pain as Reg came over. "We shan't be bothering ye again! Isn't that right lads?" He said almost sounding weak.

Reg slowed his pace when he saw Aly sitting on the back of a very muscled man. Cleo came and sat in the middle of the mess, looking very proud of herself. She began to groom herself as the two smaller men answered their leader.

The one under Ambrose just whined a quiet "Aye," full of fear. While the man under Seb could only muster enough courage to nod his head vigourously.

"Good man..." Aly waited for a name.

"Marcus" the big man said.

Aly nodded. "Cause if I find you've been _'bothering'_ my friend word _may_ spread through town that ye got yourself beat by a 'pretty faced' lass." She got of his back and gave him a innocent smile, "and we wouldn't want that ta happen, now would we?"

Marcus got up rubbing his shoulder and shook his head as Ambrose and Seb got off the other two.

Aly gave him a polite smile and her eyes twinkled with anger. Marcus gulped and ran down the street, the other two close on his feet, they disappeared from sight when they turned a corner.

"What in the..." Reg said trailing off. Knowing no other way to utter his shock.

Aly looked at him with a half smile, then looked at Seb. He looked down ready for a lecture. "I'll deal with ye in a moment" she said to his surprise and turned her attention to Ambrose. "You followed me." She said accusingly.

He put on a dashing smile, she was sure most girls melted at the sight of it, but she wasn't amused. "I was worried for your safety, a lass like ye alone, headed into the bad part o' town at such an hour. Very dangerous ye know." He said putting on some charm.

Aly just rolled her eyes, "well as ye can see I didn' need protecting. If anyone needs protectin' its 'im." She said pointing a thumb at Seb, who began to blush like a child caught doing something he shouldn't.

"Mew," Cleo said now sitting at Aly's feet.

Aly bent down to pick her up then noticed a tear in her dress. "Ohhh." She growled angrily holding her skirt up. "See Seb, my best skirt! It's torn! All because you have to prove to some huge scuts that you can do dice better 'en 'em!" She yelled angrily.

"Aly... I'm sorry" said Seb reaching for her, so he could calm her down.

Aly moved away from him shaking her head. "It was nice meeting ye Ambrose." She said with a curtsey, "it's been a big couple of days," Aly said with a sigh. "I need... Im gonna go to bed." She said trying to find the right words to excuse herself. "Night Reg, see ya tomorrow. See ya at camp Seb." She nodded at Ambrose and headed in the direction of camp.

Ambrose went to follow her. Seb grabbed his arm, "she'll be fine, she can look af'er herself. It's not far to camp, an' she does need to cool down."

Reg sighed and nodded. "I might head to the tavern, wanna come Seb?"

"Sure, if I go back to camp now and run into Aly she may snap. She takes a while to cool down" Seb said and gave a half smile. He sighed and turned to walk to the _New Beginnings_ with Reg.

Ambrose stood there for a moment longer, looking longingly in the direction Aly went. He then shook his head and trotted to catch up with Reginald and Seb. "Ok, so she's a gypsy, and your a gypsy." He pointed at Seb, "but how do you know her?" He said looking at Reginald.

"She weren't always a gypsy." Reginald said, earning a sharp look from Seb. "She wouldn't want us to say more."

Ambrose nodded and walked with the other two silently. "I should probably head off." He said scratching the back of his head. "I got stuff ta do tomorrow. Nice meeting all of ye though." He looked down at the strange cat that Aly seemed to be able to communicate with, then waved at the two boys and trotted down a side street.

"Who was he?" Seb asked dumbfounded.

Reginald shrugged. "Some guy Lett was dancing with down at the festivities. He looks a bit familiar though. But I spend my time at one of the busiest taverns in town." Seb gave a grunt of acknowledgement and they walked in silence.

Aly slowly wandered back to camp. As she came to camp she smelt the gypsy stew above the fire. The aroma bringing back memories of her first days among the gypsies.

The had cautiously brought her a bowl and wrapped her in a blanket. When they realised she was too weak to feed herself George had held her and helped her.

They had all laughed when she rasped a request for seconds.

She walked over to the gypsies in charge of food for the night, the girl handing out plates smiled at her. "I saw ye eating a sweet pastry not an hour ago!" She said laughing.

"Aye I'm sure ye did... but it's Aly! She can be full to the brim and not pass up the offer of the stew!" Said the man pouring it out.

"Aye Mac's got the right of it Merrie!" Aly said with a laugh. "Ye know how partial I am to gypsy stew!" She smiled at the married couple and they smiled back.

They put some stew in a bowl and handed it to her and watched her walk briskly over to a log and sat down in front of the fire. They shook their heads, she took to being a gypsy so well. It was so rare for regular people to be adopted by gypsies, let alone take to it so well, considering the age she was adopted.

Aly sat down and realised she forgot to get a spoon. She shrugged and started drinking from the bowl, stopping every time she hit a chunk.

She let the bowl sit on her lap as she chewed on a chunk of beef. She watched the gypsies of the camp. It was getting late, so the children that were still up were getting chased to bed. She looked around, five caravans in all, this was one of the larger gypsy clans. Each caravan held four gypsies, five if one slept on the floor, which happened fairly often.

In all there were 24 gypsies in this clan. Just enough room for everyone, she was lucky they had adopted her.

She had, had some happy times since she lived with them. She sighed, but she had happy times with Reg, Lil and Jo.

What was she to do, no, she had already made up her mind, she would stay with the gypsies.

She took another swallow of the stew and smiled, defiantly staying with the gypsies. She may think about leaving if they gave her the recipe, she giggled quietly at the thought.

Aly heard movement behind her, a tiny vibration through the log. She pretended she didn't know anyone was there. She looked to the side as if looking at the caravan to the right of where she was sitting and looked out the corner of her eye to see Gelina, a gypsy girl of six years. Obviously she was trying to get out of going to bed. Aly turned back to her stew, making sure the child thought no one knew where she was.

Aly finished her stew and put it down with a sigh. Maybe she could grab another bowl soon. She quickly wiped around and grabbed hold of Gelina's skirt before she had a chance to runaway.

Gelina attempted to pull out of Aly's grip then sighed looking at Aly. Aly smiled, cocking her head to one side. "Not tired I s'pose." She said, voice filled with amusement.

Gelina shook her head.

"Well," Aly began. "You're just gonna fall asleep anyway."

Again a shake of the head.

"If ye don't go ta bed till late then yer gonna wake up late and miss out on the playin' that the others will have when they wake up." Aly said putting in an argument the child may listen to. But the child still wasn't won. Aly looked under her nails, inspecting the dirt. "Cause I had a little something special planned," Aly shrugged, "but I s'pose if you miss it, it don't really matter."

The child looked shocked for a moment. "I'll go to bed!" Gelina cried.

Aly released the girl and she rushed off to the yellow and brown caravan. Aly smiled, and looked around.

The caravans were arranged in a semicircle, first on the left was the red and brown one, then the green and brown, then the yellow and brown, the half circle was finished with the blue and brown. Each caravan was placed in a ten metre radius away from the fire in the centre in the camp. This was how the camp was always set up. Aly was grateful for the familiarity of it.

"Ye always know how to handle the little 'uns" Said a girl, handing Aly another bowl of stew.

Aly nodded her thanks, taking the offered bowl. "Yeah, only now have to wake up early and come up with a game for 'em"

The girl gave a little giggle before sighing and sitting next to Aly. Aly gazed at her over the rim of the bowl as she drank, again she didn't have a spoon. Aly put the bowl on her lap as she ate a small chunk. Swallowing the chunk she looked at the girl beside her again.

"Almost yer sixteenth birthday." Aly said breaking the silence.

"Yeah," the girl gave Aly a half-hearted smile.

Aly let the silence sit for a moment, "yer afraid of getting married aren't you?" Aly asked, knowing the answer. Aly had gotten knowledge of how gypsy clans worked while she had lived among them. How they worked and most of their traditions. One of which was that when a girl turned sixteen the family tended to marry her off. On occasion they let the children choose who they wished to marry, so long as it was a gypsy. But most the time it was arranged when they were children.

"I'm not as good at looking after little uns' as you." The girl said, coming close to tears.

Aly put the bowl on the ground and grabbed the girl by the shoulders and gave her a small shake. "Merriela!" Aly said, "you will be a great mother! It's not always something you pick up just like that" she said clicking her fingers. "There will be people in that clan willing to help you, teach you. Ye needn't be afraid of that."

Merriela nodded. "But Aly, what if he and I, we don't get along?"

Aly let go of Merriela's shoulders, but kept looking at her. "I can't promise you anything." Aly said.

"I've only met him twice, he always hated me. Last time he saw me he put mud in me hair and said that I was an ugly little runt that he didn't want to marry, an that the mud improved my looks." Merriela informed Aly.

"People change... how old were ye last time ye saw each other?" Aly asked, feeling bad about children's cruelty.

"I were nine and he were ten." Merriela answered.

"See, that's the age boys are not interested in girls." Aly said. "He's more then likely changed, an if he hasn't, and he 'urts ye, I'll 'urt him." Merriela laughed, whipping her eyes. "Simple as that, I say." Said Aly smiling.

"Ye always make things better." Merriela said. "What ever will I do without ye?" She cried flinging her self on Aly.

Aly hugged her back. "No idea, ye been one of me closest friends since I joined the gypsies. What am I meant to do without ye to help me gang up on Seb?" Aly asked.

Merriela laughed again. "We best torment him as much as we can before I leave."

"Definitely!" Aly agreed.

The girls grabbed each other by the wrist and shook on it.

As if on cue Seb walked into camp. Merriela laughed and tapped Aly, who had started consuming the stew again, on the shoulder.

Aly looked at her questioningly and Merriela pointed at Seb by the green caravan. Aly looked at Merriela, who nodded.

Aly went back to finishing her stew, determined not to leave any before she started terrorising Seb. Merriela stood and walked over to the blue caravan, making sure Seb didn't see her as he spoke to Mac.

Seb finished his conversation with Mac, never noticing Merriela, and sauntered over to Aly's log.

Aly put the bowl on the other one, pleased to no end that she had finished two bowls of stew. Seb sat next two her, where Merriela had been moments ago.

"Two bowls?" Seb said, astonished. "Your a greedy guts."

Aly smiled at him, "Hey!" she said shoving him gently. "Im incredibly proud of the fact that I finished two!"

Seb laughed, "What about that time everyone had the stomach cold, so ye ate all the leftovers, and what was left in their bowls."

"Thirty-nine" Aly sighed with a big smile. "Im much prouder of that feat."

Seb laughed, almost falling backwards of the log. "The ye caught the cold! An' ye couldn't eat anything. So everyone ate two pots worth in front of ye."

"That was extremely cruel." Aly said indignantly.

"Yeah!" Said Merriela coming up behind Seb and dumping a bucket of water on his head.

Seb screamed in surprise and fell backwards off the log with his feet in the air.

Aly leaned her elbows on the log and looked down at him innocently as she laughed. While Merriela put her hand on her hip and loomed over him laughing.

Seb wiped his hair out of his face, before flicking water off his hand. He looked at the girls grudgingly making them laugh harder.

Merriela had to sit down before she fell down. She put the empty bucket beside her on the log, as she sat on the other side of Seb's legs to Aly.

The girls caught their breath and looked back at Seb, still lying on the ground.

"There's water up me nose..." Seb mumbled, making the girls laugh again. He lent on his elbows, attempting to get up. The girls offered him a had each, both of which he took, and they lifted him back onto the log.

The three sighed in unison then looked at each other. Seb put his arms around the girls and they leaned on him, ignoring the dampness of his clothes.

"Not much time left to be just the three of us," Seb said giving the girls a squeeze. "We should make the best o' it." The girls nodded, "you absolutely sure your gonna stay Aly?"

"Where would Aly go?" Merriela cried in surprise.

Aly groaned and stood up rubbing her forehead. "Im not leaving the clan."

"It's un'erstandable if ye do, Aly." Seb said seriously arm still around Merriela.

Merriela looked between them, confusion clear on her face. "What's goin' on what are ye two on about?"

Aly sighed and looked at the girl, "this is my hometown." She said holding out her arms, before shrugging. "In the past couple of days a lot has happened," she turned her attention back to Seb. "But it don't mean I'm leaving."

"Uh... yeah... s'pose not." Seb said looking at something behind her.

Merriela was looking where he was, the confusion still clear on her face.

Aly spun round to see what they were looking at. Her hair covered her face from the speed of her turn. She wiped it out of her eyes to see by the clan's fire, her mother. "What in Zuzr's name is she doin' here?"

"Am I meant ta know?" Seb said, sounding dumbfounded.

Aly sighed and sat down next to him heavily and sat with her face in her hands, leaning her elbows on her legs. "I just wanted to relax..." she moaned into her hands, Seb and Merriela barely making out her muffled words.

"So who's that?" Merriela inquired.

"It's Aly's-" Seb began but got enthralled as he listened to Maria speak.

"I was wondering if I may join the gypsies. There is nothing for me here in Gruber." Maria began. Connia stepped out of the blue caravan, watching Maria. Maria recognised this woman to be the leader of the clan and continued. "I have skills in healing, herbs, sewing and I'm a hard worker."

Connia sucked her teeth, and clicked her tongue as she examined the stranger by the fire. The disgusting sound reminded Aly of her first day among the gypsies, that and many other days. But mostly of when Connia was disapproving of her.

"You are more needed by the people of Gruber." Aly cut in. Connia's eyes flashed between Aly and the new comer. She quickly noticed the resemblances.

The softly waving hair, Aly's hair was slightly lighter then the new comers, and her eyes were brown with only a slight bit of green, instead of full green like the new comers.

The two were around the same height, and both had the sensual shape of an hour glass. Connia clicked her tongue again and smiled at the new comer. "What might ye name be?"

"My name is Maria Pachonte." She stated crossing her fingers behind her back in the dim light. Aly saw her mother do this and wondered why. She would inquire later.

"Well we 'ave space, bring any belonging ye might have an' welcome." Connia saw Aly about to make an argument, "Our healer passed only a few months ago, we did need a new one, so yer in luck."

Aly bit her tongue to hold back her argument and watched the clan leader walk back to the blue caravan.

As soon as the wooden door with the chipped blue paint closed Aly spun on her heel and stormed to the red caravan. Seb gave a two fingered salute to Maria and went after Aly. Merriela stared at the woman for a moment, still kind of startled, before lifting her skirts and running to the caravan.

Maria, who had been smiling politely at Seb and Merriela, gave a sigh and uncrossed her fingers. "I just need to get my belongings and affairs in order. How long do I have?" She inquired to the nearest gypsy, Mac.

"We're here for the rest o' this week an' the next." Mac replied.

"Thank you." Maria, nodded her head politely and wondered out of camp back to Gruber.

Inside the caravan Aly sat down in the corner with her head against the wall. Seb and Merriela came in and closed the door behind them.

"Aly?" Seb said putting his hand on her shoulder. Merriela sat on Aly's bed to the right side of the caravan and watched them in the back left corner. "Why are you so upset about your mother joining the clan?"

"Mother?" Marriela cried in shock.

Aly and Seb took no notice. "Because, she's been missing all these years, i can't just suddenly change my whole life style to fit her in. That's one o' the reasons I'm staying with the clan." Aly said to the wall. She turned her head up towards Seb, looking at him upside down. "I'm glad she's alive, it's just gonna take time to get use to the idea that she's alive, i need time. It's like she's pressing me to accept this straight away."

Seb sighed and sat on the left bunk.

"I don't want to change my life all over again!" Aly put her head back against the wall feeling the sting of tears about to come.

"There's not much we can do abou' it, Aly. We just have ta make the best o' it." Seb said half heartadly, "there's not much time, of it being the three of us, left."

Merriela nodded. They were well aware that Aly was crying, but they said nothing, letting her air out.

After a few minutes of silence Aly lifted her head up, her eyes dry. She had only shed a few tears. She sighed and sat back on her heels.

Seb smiled weakly at her. She smiled back and rubbed her temple. "S'pose we should get some sleep... Lord my head hurts..."

Seb gave a small chuckle and nodded, Merriela did the same. Seb got to his feet, "I'll let ye two change." He stepped out of the caravan and closed the door behind him.

The girls stood and started taking off their over garments. The girls got ready in silence, neither sure how to make it less awkward.

Finally Aly sighed, "so got any plans before ya leave the clan? Something to make ye that tad more remembered?"

Merriela chuckled, "I figured I'd leave the plan making up ta ye." she said teasingly, "ye do seem to get yerself that reputation."

Aly grinned, "Aye, I do seem to get into one mess or another..." She trailed off thinking. Aly gasped looking up with a mischievous gleam in her eye, at that moment a knock came at the door. The knock could only be Seb reminding them he needs to change too.

"... What?" Merriela asked suspiciously, well aware what that gleam meant. She slipped her night gown on as Aly grinned at her, doing the same.

They opened the door to Seb, who immediately saw the gleam too. He gained a worried expression.

"I have an idea!" Aly proclaimed, grabbing Seb by the arm to pull him into the caravan before closing the door.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five – One Last Look**

The air was crisp with the mornings coolness. It was the second last day before the gypsies were to leave. Aly hadn't been on the town much since she had discussed the plan with Merriela and Seb. Later on they had told George, they had been perfecting the plan since. Well really they had been practising.

They were going to leave town with a reputation, or at least leave behind a very good story.

Aly smiled to herself at the thought, all the confusion. Conflicting stories, she had no idea why she hadn't thought it a good idea to start with.

Aly's steps slowed, she glanced to the side, there it was. She had no idea why she had come here in her break from practise, but she had.

She looked down the road, no one about, then stepped toward her childhood home. She walked to the door, her gaze flitting over the worn out carving on the door, remembering how it had once looked, what it had one said. She ran her finger over the engravings slowly, making the letters with her mouth. Just for memories sake.

F, M & A Pachonté

Remembering the curls as if they were still completely visible brought a smile of memory to her lips.

Her fingers went back to the 'M' and stilled. He father had had it left there in memory of her mother, but she knew it was also his way of showing he still had hope she was alive. His way of wishing for her back, and she was. Aly blinked away a tear, 'but he's gone'. She thought.

She let her hand slip from the door and too her belt. She pulled out her pocket knife, one of the many she still had from her time as a thief. Most people carried around one weapon, at least, for protection. Even most women, all the gypsies did.

Men in some towns tried to take advantage of the gypsy girls. Thinking that because they danced the way they did, or that because they wore different clothes, they were merely whores.

They were poorly mistaken, Aly had proved so many times.

She began to re-carve the letters in the door. So that they were once again visible from a few more feet away.

She bit her lip as she concentrated on the job at hand. Remembering how to carve the way her father had taught her. He had done a little bit of carving for a hobby, mostly he had carved his own quills. She had even made a few. She blew lightly on the door, removing the wood she had carved away.

Placing her knife back in her hidden purse seethe she surveyed her work. She half smiled, it wasn't her best work, but she hadn't carved in a long time. Content with her work she walked to the window just right of the door.

She swiped a hand over the glass, relieving it of a thick layer of dust. Ignoring the grime, she placed her eye to the window to gaze in.

One leg of the dining table had long since rotted away, leaving it on a lean. A couple of the chairs still stood. A few jars had fallen over, and cobwebs added a confusing pattern to every corner of the room.

Aly leaned back, searching for a point of entry. It would be to conspicuous should she break in through the front door or window. Once again she looked up and down the street, convinced no one would see her she walked to the ally next to the house.

Once in the ally she jumped up to grab the guttering of the house. She held on to the guttering a moment, to make certain that it wasn't going to give way under her weight from lack of care and old age. Sure that it wouldn't she lifted herself up a bit before flipping backwards onto the roof. She waited a moment, in a crouch, to orientate herself to the slight slant. Turning, and walking along the roof, in a slight crouch, she made her way to the back of the house.

Once at the back of the house she lowered herself off the gutter to land in a crouch in her old, small backyard. It wasn't really a backyard, it was more a small fenced area with enough room for a string, used as a clothes line. The string had worn out in the middle at some point, and now it hung limply from either side of the fence, that it had been tied too.

Aly went to the back door, boarded. She placed her hands on the boards, quickly pulling her hands away when she got a splinter. "Dammit" she cussed under her breath quickly, as a reaction to the pain in her hand.

Picking the splinter out absent mindedly, she glared at the door. She wandered over to the back window. She looked it over thinking, before she knelt to pick up a rock.

She threw it in the air slightly, testing its weight, then lifted her free arm to cover her eyes as she hurled it at the window. Just as she'd hoped, she heard the glass break. Lowering her arm, she looked at the damage she had caused. To her amazement most of the window had broken away. 'Lucky shot' she thought to herself. Aly once again jumped to grab the guttering, before using it to lever herself up and swing through the window legs first.

She landed on her old bed, creating a cloud of dust. Aly started coughing violently, and her eyes began to water. She wiped her eyes and tried to recover from her coughing fit as the dust settled, revealing her old room.

Placing her hands on the bed, she was currently sitting on, she gazed around the room in awe of memory. There was her duchess, mirror still standing atop it, and in one piece. Her old wardrobe sat beside it, on its right, slightly ajar and covered in dust and cobwebs.

Glancing to her left, at her old bed head, she remembered all the painted designs that use to be there. They had long ago lost their colour from the sun or worn away and chipped from age. Memory flashed before her eyes, making it look as it had many years ago. The white unicorn, pitch black horse, a man and woman, both with sword in hand.

Lilla had painted it when they were little. The inspiration was from their favourite story that her father use to tell. "The Prince and the Warrior Princess..." Aly whispered to herself as the image disappeared.

Blinking at the surreal feeling the image from her past had instilled in her, she stayed sitting on the bed for a few more moments. The feeling lifted slightly, but not completely. She pushed herself to her feet and walked to her old duchess.

It came up to her hips, it was perfect height. If the mirror was not covered in dust and cobwebs she would be able to view herself from the top of her head to hips. She placed her hands on the surface of the duchess. Immediately creating hand prints in the dust.

She brushed her hand over the mirror, attempting to remove some of the grime. Dust, now loosened, fell to gather on the duchess. She could now see her, smeared, reflection in the mirror.

It flashed as she looked into the mirror, she found herself staring into her own eyes, but it wasn't her. She looked at a much younger version of herself.

Faded blue dress, smiling eyes, untainted by painful memories. No, it was her, but it was her from years ago.

Another image flashed on the mirror, but disappeared as quickly as it had come. She stared at the reflection in the mirror a little longer. It was her, the age she was now. The young girl she had spied moments before, lost to the past. Safe from pain, with nothing but an imagination full of adventures.

Aly shook her head, attempting to remove the vision from her mind

She moved to the door of her old room. She opened it a touch more, just enough for her to pass through into the hallway. The door made a loud squeak on hinges long unoiled. She winced at the sound, quickly relaxing with the realisation that no one but her would hear. She walked slowly down the hallway, she slowed down as she reached what use to be her father's room. She reached her hand out and placed it on the doorframe as she turned into her room.

The door had been left wide open, his bed, though moth eaten, was made perfectly. Aly leant on the door frame, as she hugged herself, remembering her father. His desk, the place where he had sat so many times, was partially rotted.

She gave a sigh, pushing herself off the doorframe and down the hallway again. She arrived in the dining room. The table with six chairs, mostly rotted.

She absent minded-ley, from habit, righted a jar, that had fallen over years before.

Aly looked across the room, at the bench that separated the main room from the kitchen. There was the old wood fire oven, long since it had been used. The stove told much the same story, covered, every inch, with dust.

She glanced over the kitchen, cupboards bare, only a few chipped plates left. Spider webs covering the walls. The removable tub, long dry, had rusted over from the damp winters.

She remembered helping her father wash dishes in that tub, as he taught her silly rhymes or told her stories.

Her head buzzed slightly, then before her eyes her father appeared. She bit her lip, hoping this vision would last longer than her other ones, trying anything to hold onto it longer.

She studied her father, his sleeves were bunched at his elbow and his hands were submerged in water as he washed the dishes. His dark brown, shoulder length hair was pushed behind his ears, away from his face.

Water had splashed onto his faded and worn black pants. All the webs and dust had disappeared, and the tub had lost its rust.

Aly's eyes travelled over her father's face, seeing creases in his forehead, caused by smiling, as he always had. His brown eyes were filled with amusement. She noticed he was looking at something, something behind her. She spun around, only to find herself once again faced with her younger self.

The young Letti sat on one of the wooden chairs, grinning ear to ear as she giggled. She looked so innocent, but Aly knew, even at that young age of six, she was a trouble maker. The little girl, missing a couple of baby teeth, swung her little legs back and forth; it would be a few years before she could reach the floor.

Aly smiled, but she would much rather look at her father. She turned back watching him as she slowly walked towards the bench. She leant against the bench as she watched her father.

Fabrizio pulled his hands from the soapy water and flicked water at little Letti, skipping towards him through the door. She squealed and ran the extra metre towards him. He laughed as he grabbed the girl hugging his knees, he held her close and kissed her head. She dipped her hand in the water and quickly splashed him.

He gave an over exaggerated splutter and held her hand with his free one. The little girl was giggling loud, she took a deep breath and began to hug him.

Aly still watched, her eyes stinging with tears.

"I love you papa" Said the girl in the vision.

"I love you to my little angel" Said Fabrizio, admiration in his eyes.

Suddenly Aly felt something on her shoulder, she spun around and came face to face with her mother. She turned back to the kitchen, but her vision was gone. She looked down at where her hands had been on the bench. There were two hand prints, and she found her hands covered with dust and grime. She surveyed the kitchen quickly, nothing but dust, cobwebs and dust. Aly wanted to cry, she wished her father was still alive.

She turned back to her mother. Aly looked at the woman blankly for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, trying to get back to the real world.

"How did you get in?" Aly said, remembering where she was.

Maria stared at her for a moment. "I came in through the back door, given I did have to pry the boards off."

"How did you even get into the backyard?" Aly said, dumbfounded.

"I just went through the gate that opens to the back ally" said Maria raising her eyebrow.

Aly looked down and muttered under her breath, "I forgot about that…" She looked back at her mother. "You must have made a lot of noise…" Aly muttered, realising she hadn't heard.

"Yes I was quite surprised I startled you… you must have been very deep in thought." Maria paused for a moment. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Aly said quickly. She had learnt to keep things to herself, it was better if people didn't know too much, that included her mother.

Maria sighed, realising it wouldn't be too easy to get anything out of her long lost daughter. She hugged herself looking around, "I missed this place… I often thought of coming in to have a look, but I always put it off. I thought it would hurt too much." She looked at Aly, "it hurts a little less with you here. Knowing you are alive." She looked at the table and smiled. "All three of us use to sit there, you use to sit on my lap. Your father would tell stories, he told amazing stories." Her gaze clouded with pain.

Aly nodded. "I loved his stories… Everyone did"

Maria nodded. "Sometimes you would wonder if they were real… or where he came up with the ideas." She turned back to Aly. "I always wondered what had become of you… what you would look like when you grew up. You're even more beautiful then I imagined."

Aly flushed red. Maria smiled, "you were a pretty child. You've only grown more beautiful. I bet you have a pic of men."

Aly shrugged, trying to brush away the sudden thought that came upon her.

To Aly's surprise Maria grabbed her hand and led her to her father's room. Maria looked in, a half smile touching her lips. "The day I got kidnapped… your father was sitting at his table, writing one of his stories." She chuckled, "and you were under the desk, tapping his feet then hiding under the chair when he looked for you. He kept pretending he had no idea you were there." She bit her lip. "He was such a good man, with such a large heart."

Aly nodded, remembering her vision.

"I came to the door, said I was leaving to wash the clothes, he turned and smiled at me saying…"

Maria's voice faded in her ears, and suddenly she saw her father smiling at the door. "Alright, love you honey, I'll see you when you get home" His eyes were filled with love.

Aly saw a little face under the chair, she looked a little more. It was her again, but only two years old, she was grinning, lying on her back. This time the perfect image of trouble.

The two year old waved "'ove ew mama"

The vision faded and Aly was standing with her mother again.

"… And that was the last time I saw you two…" Maria said.

Aly looked over at her mother and saw tears falling down her cheeks.

To Maria's surprise, and her own, she put her arms around her mother and held her. After her momentary shock Maria buried her head in her daughters shoulder.

Aly felt her mother shudder, she knew Maria was crying. She couldn't hold on any longer. Tears began to well in her eyes and pour down her face. She followed her mother's lead and buried her head in her mother's shoulder.

The two women cried to one another. Maria lifted her face, her eyes had gone red from the tears, she held Aly's head in her hands, stroking her cheeks with her thumbs.

"I missed you so much mama" Aly managed to say through her tears, Maria nodded in response, unable to speak just yet. "I'm so sorry I was so cruel hearted to you," Maria started shaking her head. "I had just gotten so use to the idea I had lost everything… I didn't want to change my life all over again."

Maria pulled her daughter close and kissed her forehead. "I understand. And I don't want you to change your lifestyle just because I'm back. But with you going with the gypsy's well, there's nothing left for me here, but painful memories, so… I decided to come with you."

Aly looked at her. "Are you sure you want to join the gypsies? We travel all the time."

Maria nodded, "I know, and I don't mind, I love travelling."

"Alri'" Aly said with a sigh. "But don' say ye weren't warned" she said regaining her commoners slur. "Why don't we go 'ave a drink, to celebrate being together again?"

Maria nodded and put her arm through Aly's and they walked back to the back of the house. When they got to the back door they unlinked their arms and walked through one at a time. Aly skipped over the discarded planks that had barred the door shut. She dropped her skirts when she reached the back gate. She turned to see her mother lifting her skirts and daintily stepping over the wood.

Aly extended her hand to her mother, Maria took it as she dropped her skirts, reaching a hand down to brush webs off.

They walked through the gate into the back ally before linking arms again. They walked down the dark ally, with only a sliver of sky visible between the houses towering over the metre wide lane. But the light was just enough to see everything clearly. They walked into the street; no one would have ever suspected these two had just broken into an old 'haunted' house.

They strolled casually down the road, Aly leading them in the direction of the _New Beginnings_.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, nodding at passers-by in a neighbourly fashion. Maria began to chuckle.

Aly turned her head, looking at her mother quizzically.

Feeling Aly's gaze on her Maria stated the reason of her laughter, "I only had a regular family for three years" She said smiling, "now it's all topsy turvy again" She laughed a little, not loud enough to make people look at her strangely, but just enough to know it was hysterical to her.

Aly smiled a little. "At least I got a regular life for about twelve or thirteen years."

Maria smiled back as they turned into another street.

The hanging sign of the _New Beginnings_ came into view.

Aly began to think of the night she discovered her mother was alive. It seemed so long ago, but it had only been a day and a half. She smiled vaguely, how much your life can change in one day, but then, this wasn't the first time she had learnt that lesson.

The day of the fire, the day she became a thief, the day she joined the gypsies. Surely life didn't have too many life changes in store for her. She didn't think she would be able to cope much more, she was barely coping now.

They walked through the door of the tavern; it was a lot emptier then the night Aly got drunk. But then most people didn't drink during the day.

Aly looked around, most the tables were empty. The light was still dim, but not as dim as the other night. The small stained windows on the front of the tavern let in some sparse, yellowed light. Maria headed to a small table, Aly followed, close behind.

She surveyed the tavern, something she hadn't done, nor could have done well, the other night.

There were four small tables, ones that could sit four at most. There were six seats at the bar, plenty of space between them, but they could be moved for people to be closer, so they can talk.

In the middle of the room there were benches, three of them. Aly estimated they could sit ten, maybe even twelve people at a time.

Right in the darkest part of the tavern though, right at the back, there were booths. Three small, four to six people at most. And one large, probably fitting about nine people.

There were about seven other people in the tavern, not including the bartender and the bar maids.

Two people were sitting at one of the benches, both enjoying a nice brunch together, one had sausages, peas and mashed potato, while the other had a beautiful looking roast with potato carrot and gravy.

Suddenly movement caught her eye, the curtain of the big booth had moved. Aly stared for a moment. There, holding the edge of the seat, a hand. It belonged to a man, that much she could tell.

She wondered, how many people were sitting in that booth. It really was none of her concern, but she was always very curious about things.

Unfortunately for her, the hand was all she could see. The red curtain of the booth brushed the floor, an added security, preventing her from counting feet.

Temporally giving up Aly turned to look at the table Maria had chosen. As she sat she noticed the table had no spills on it, and that her chair was a tad wobbly. Quickly adjusting her balance to the wobble, Aly put her elbows on the table.

Catching her out Maria said, "don't you have any manners?"

Aly looked at her mother, "it ain't like we use tables regularly among the gypsies." Her mother merely rolled her eyes in reply.

A dutiful waitress came over with a cheery smile. "what can I get ye's today then?"

Aly looked up at the girl noticing a glint of pain in the girls eyes. "Ah," she said, momentarily distracted, "just an ale thanks." She uttered finally, remembering what the girl had asked.

The waitress nodded, turning her attention to Maria. "An' what can I get ye mam?" Aly noticed the girls eyes strayed to the big booth, filling with worry.

Aly's curiosity grew in magnitude when she saw this. If she wasn't with her mother it may have even forced her to investigate the booth, or linger around to catch a few words said in the secretive meeting.

"A watered down ale, thank you" Aly heard Maria say, drawing her out of her thoughts.

The waitress nodded and headed quickly to the bar, with all the grace that came from the constant practice of working at a tavern. Lightly stepping over ale puddles, dodging chairs pushed out too far. Even lifting her skirts in time to prevent the material catching on loose floor planks.

Aly looked at her mother, only to catch Maria staring intently at her. "Wha?" she said charmingly, causing her mother to roll her eyes.

Maria gave a sigh, and then aired her thoughts. "You seemed to be off in the clouds."

Aly nodded, her mind drifting slightly to the secret meeting. "Just a few things I was a ponderin'. Naught that can't wait till later, I just got a tad carried away with me thoughts."

Maia's raised eyebrow indicated she wanted to know more, but she simply nodded, deciding it could wait. They stayed in silence for a moment, still getting the measure of each other and not knowing where to start.

Maria finally broke the silence, "so… how is your romance life going darling?"

"MA!" Aly cried in surprise.

"What? Isn't a mother aloud to know about her child's life?" Her mother asked rhetorically.

Aly gave a sigh. "Me love life is fairly non-existent. I don't like getting attached to people. Seb, George and a few other gypsies have been me only exceptions since pa died."

The waitress came back, placing the ales on the table in front of Maria and Aly. Maria handed the girl two copper coins, the girl nodded, taking the payment, and went to check on other customers.

Aly took a sip of ale and continued. "If you get attached to someone it hurts more when they are gone, whether through death, betrayal or otherwise."

Maria looked at her child, noting the pain in the girl's eyes.

"When pa died, I cut off all me ties, and started a new life. Free of people who would cause me pain once they were gone. So far it's worked for me." Aly gave a shrug, before sinking her eyes to the surface of her honey coloured ale.

"Aren't you lonely?" Maria asked sympathetically.

Again, Aly shrugged. "I was for a bit, but I got Seb and Meriella to have fun with. George ta help me, and show me what I need. They're my new family, and they know, well knew, almost nothing about me past. Like an unmarked parchment, an all-new start. I rarely had to t'ink about me memories, me old life." She looked her mother in the eye, "at least, of course until I came back here."

Maria smiled sympathetically at her long lost, and now grown up child. "I know that you have had it rough all these years. And I can never right what happened to you, or erase your bad memories. But to cut yourself of emotional ties to people, well it's just idiotic"

Aly sighed, trying to keep her temper in check. "Look, I've had friends. An' I suppose I've felt love… but it's all part of me past. All tha' matters is the road, the next show, an' earning enough to live." Aly's mind flashed with a memory, with someone, she quickly pushed it back out of sight.

Maria sighed, "well, it's all up to you, and I can't change your mind. In time, I'm sure you'll see the error of your ways." Catching sight of her daughters slight scowl she decided it was time to change subject. "So, if the road is all that matters to you, where next?"

Aly shrugged, "Up to Connia. I like the surprise, I only find out a few days before, so George an' I can look over town maps, and decide how an' where we will perform."

Maria smiled vaguely, wisps of memory seeming to cloud her. These memories went un said, "well, it all sounds exciting! I should enjoy the changing country, a bit of an adventure really"

"Ms Freedman!" Someone called from the door, Aly didn't know who the man was, but her mother did. The man came over, his face red, his breathing hard. Obviously it was something very urgent, sending him running after Maria.

"Here, here! Drink this." Maria said lifting her watered down ale to the man. She waited for him to drink and catch his breath. "Not too fast" she muttered, touching his arm when he began to guzzle the ale down.

As soon as he caught his breath Maria began to speak comfortingly. "Now, tell me what the problem is..."

The man wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve, getting the remnants of the ale off of his mouth. "I ran everywhere looking for ye! Me wife, she, her…" The man began to stutter, not sure what to say. "Her water broke!" He cried when the words came to him.

"Oh my!" Maria cried before turning to Aly. "I'm so sorry darling, but I must tend to this. I shall see you later."

The man rushed off, Maria on his heels, stopping only to hold the door for her.

Aly sat there, watching the door swing closed in their wake. She assumed it was the man's first child, by his age and panic. She imagined her mother following the man, wrought with worry, down many streets, to be faced with a woman who had many hours to go in her labour.

Aly giggled to herself, when suddenly a thought struck her. She groaned, under the realisation that she was stuck with the bill.

She glanced at the two half empty tankards and sighed. She poured what was left of her mother's ale into her own tankard.

Sitting in silence Aly drank the mixed ale, letting the tang coat her tongue as her mind drifted. She mulled over what Maria had said, all thoughts of the curtained booth slipping her mind.

Ambrose watched Aly, thinking of the night before. Wishing he could talk to the interesting girl again. But alas, he had other business to tend to.

He let the curtain fall back in place again, leaving only a sliver for him to watch Aly through, and listened with one ear to the conversation being had around him. He glanced at the five faces in front of him.

"Alrigh' Sal, start again." He said to the woman with short black hair and amber eyes.

"Well, ye see, I heard these two lads talkin' abou' a plot ta kill our king. I am very faithful to our king. So I was worried, I hid an listened a little more. That's when I heard they were out to kill the King an the prince…" She stared intently at Ambrose. "I figured they must be wanting to replace the two of ye… that's when I heard who." She paused taking a deep breath. "Scap and Moore"

The other four companions looked shocked, while Ambrose, who had more at stake, remained calm. He leaned his elbow on the table, and tapped his lips with his fingers, thinking.

"They will ruin the thief world!" The blond girl said in shock, Kale put his arms around her.

"Shhh, May, all will be fine. Ye'll see, Ambrose will come up with a plan." Kale said to his wife comfortingly.

"Well…" said Ambrose.

"That's preposterous! The only thing he can do is to run away!" Said the last girl, her brown hair flying away from her face, revealing a scar by her ear.

"Ambrose wouldn't run, that's what a coward would do!" Said the man beside her.

Ambrose held up his hand in front of his face, not lifting his elbow off the table. This silenced the woman and man from arguing. The five people in front of him looked at him, waiting for him to speak his thoughts.

"Mif's right. I have to leave, not run away." Ambrose said, staring at the man, as if daring him to say Ambrose was a coward. When nothing was said Ambrose continued. "If I stay a thief war will start, that would be bad. Given, if Scap and Moore are in charge for long it will cause a riot. But if I stay in town I will be killed. I may be skilled, but if I stayed fighting for too long I would get worn out… its hopeless taking that path. But if I leave, and ye all root yourselves inside the new thief community, when I come back, we can take advantage and put things the way they're meant to be."

There was a moment's silence.

"Tis genius!" Said Sal.

"Jasper?" Ambrose said looking at the man who said running was the cowards way.

"I have to admit, I hadn't thought all 'at through. But now I think about it, it's perfect. Except for one tiny thin'." Jasper said.

"An' what's that then?" Asked Mif

"What if Ambrose doesn't come back? For whatever reason." Jasper pointed out to the group.

"The only thing that could keep me from coming back would be death itself." Said Ambrose quietly.

The group nodded, knowing he took his role as second in command very seriously.

"Alright, here's the plan, someone has to tell the king. Sal that'll be your job. An' I, I'll leave when the gipsies do. There will be so much noise that no one will notice. The rest of ye, be scarce, the less they think ye have ta do with me, the safer you'll be, and the easier it will be for ye to become trusted."

Everyone nodded sadly, knowing that it would be a long time before they saw their friend and thief prince. In truth they trusted the thief prince more than they did the royal one. But things would change with Scap and Moore in charge.

Aly drank her ale, one eye on the booth. Suddenly the man from the night before came out. Aly nearly spat out her ale in surprise, but quickly collected herself, reminding herself that it was a tavern, even handsome mystery men had to come to taverns.

Aly's brain scrambled as she tried to remember his name, what was it? Ah, that's right, Ambrose.

Aly watched the booth from the corner of her eye, Ambrose helped a short girl, with short, straight black hair, out of the booth by the hand. She was followed by a muscled man, just an inch taller than Ambrose. Out of the other side of the booth a girl emerged, wearing an apron that looked much like the ones the waitresses of the tavern wore. She was followed by a man and a sweet looking woman.

Aly spied rings on the fingers of these last two to emerge. So those two were married, decided Aly.

All the people with Ambrose had a sad expression. Each of the people said goodbye to Ambrose before leaving.

The short woman Ambrose had helped out of the booth hugged him, which even to Aly, seemed slightly out of character. Next the man, who shook Ambrose's hand, before walking out with the short woman.

The waitress took her turn after this, hugging him tightly, before nodding, and leaving. Aly realised she must have finished her shift.

Finally the married couple said goodbye. The woman smiled weakly, stroking his cheek, Ambrose placed his hand on her shoulder, smiling and saying words quietly, that Aly couldn't hear. She moved to the side to allow her husband to say goodbye. The man looked at Ambrose before embracing him.

They must be close friends Aly decided.

The man held Ambrose's shoulders, before smiling slightly, and walking away, arm around his wife.

Aly turned away from Ambrose, inspecting the Tavern.

Suddenly Aly heard a woman cry out, and turned just as a young, and obviously new, waitress landed on the feet of her stool, knocking it backwards. Aly fell backward, bracing herself for the impact of the hard wooden floor.


End file.
